Ready, FIGHT!
by UtSuKuShIi MoOn
Summary: Ryoma lived in a world where money and drugs ruled. There was no way of escaping, except to fight and keep on fighting until death freed him. He hated it, but loved it at the same time. Full summary inside. YAOI
1. Chapter 1

Summary: AU – Ryoma lived in a world where money and drugs ruled. There was no way of escaping, except to fight and keep on fighting until death freed him. He hated it, but loved it at the same time. Now, there's someone out there to destroy his world. Would he be willing to allow the only way he knew how to live to be destroyed or will he kill the person to save it?

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fanmade.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-FIGHT! : The Underground Fight Club**

The crowd was loud, the city was bustling with life, and among them all in the far distance, somewhere on the bench in a park, sat a young boy. His white cap tipped to cover his face as he observed the society before his golden eyes. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his white jacket as he leaned slightly back into the brown bench. Wearing only gray shorts, it revealed his hairless, yet toned legs, stretching across the ground. A soft breeze sent the fallen leaves fluttering and his greenish black locks of hair to sway. Some few feet away, the young boy eyed a man with light brown hair walking with some woman. He was smiling, but it gave the boy shivers. It wasn't just an ordinary smile…it was a smile of a man who was scheming something _horrible_. His golden orbs darted away and fell upon a pair of men, one with black hair that was sort of bald-like and the other with dark red hair. The distinguishing band-aid on the red head's cheek made him stand out, causing the boy to wonder what happened to make him put on a band-aid. The other man was…just simple. There wasn't anything special about him.

The young boy looked away again, dropping his gaze to the floor. He began to kick his feet back and forth, sending up a dust of dirt. Stopping abruptly, his gaze flickered back up where he saw a man with spiky black hair yelling loudly at a man with a green bandanna. It was a heated conversation, almost leading to a full on fist fight, but the rules of society wouldn't allow that. The young boy knew all too well and as he predicted in his head, the two arguing men ended their quarrel by parting ways without a fight. At the sight of them walking away, the young boy smirked. He had found his recruitment. Standing up, he began to follow after the spiky, black-haired man. Shuffling through his pocket, he took out his cell phone and flipped it open. He scanned through his phone book and found the number labeled "Monkey King." He dialed and waited, listening to it ring about three times before the man picked it up.

"You called at the worst time," answered the voice on the other line with a very hoarse tone.

Somewhere in the background the boy could hear a woman moaning, some shuffling of blankets, and erratic breathing. Rolling his eyes, he chose to ignore the background sounds, even the sound of a different voice mixing in with the girl he had heard earlier.

"Look, I found some guys that looks like they would be willing to join the club. I want you to have it ready," replied the boy bluntly.

"Tsk, tsk, Ryoma, you know I have to meet them first before I get them ready for you," said the other voice.

"Atobe, you promised."

"Yes, I did, but bring them first and then you'll get what you want. Now, if you excuse me, I have some women waiting for me to attend to their…**needs**."

The other line clicked, leaving Ryoma hanging. He sighed in frustration and snapped his phone shut. Looking up, he noticed the man he was following walked into a fast food joint. Shrugging, Ryoma followed in after him and spotted him sitting near a window. Strolling over, he smoothly slid into the red seat, ignoring the incredulous look on the other man's face.

"Who the hell are you?" asked the other man.

"You don't need to know. Look, I saw you fighting earlier with a green bandanna guy. You have a fight you want to settle with?" asked Ryoma.

"…did you follow me?"

"Answer my question."

"Why the fuck would I answer a freaking creepy ass boy who followed me after I had some stupid argument with that fucking Viper."

"Because I can give you a place where you can fight him one on one with no one giving a damn, but instead, they would probably be betting on who would win. Society sees violence as an evil thing, especially if it's not a professional job, but this club will allow you to see the blood of victory."

"You're crazy."

"Believe what you want, but here, take this. It's the address to the place...if you ever feel like you need it. Maybe you can check it out and if you like it, we could invite that green bandanna guy and you two could go head-to-head."

Ryoma shrugged and stood back up to take his leave, but before he left he said, "Oh yeah, if you happen to come tonight, it starts at six on the dot. Find me first...I'll be around, just ask the guys who are always standing by the corners."

Then he left, making his way back to the park where he would once again sit and observe to find more people he could recruit. As he walked down the sidewalk, he came to a sudden stop when he heard his name being called. Glancing to the side, Ryoma turned his whole body and faced the man he had seen earlier with a woman. Ryoma knew him, but he'd liked to keep his distance from that man. He was known as a man who'd loved to see the agony of others; a sadist and one who doesn't mind kinky ideas like S&M or bondage. That guy was a total _freak._

Ryoma kept his facial expression bland as he faced him. Stuffing his hands back into the pockets of his jacket, he slowly walked over to the man when he waved a hand at him to come closer. Ryoma stopped when he was in hearing range. The other man chuckled at him before waving for Ryoma to come closer. Grumbling under his breath, Ryoma complied and went closer, standing right at the table where the man was sitting. The woman earlier was no longer in sight and he briefly wondered what happened to her.

"It's a nice day today, isn't it?" asked the man.

"It is..." replied Ryoma.

"Hm? You don't seem to be too happy."

"When I have to see your face, not really."

"Spunky aren't you, Echizen?"

"And it looks like you found another victim...Fuji."

"No sempai?"

"...Fuji-sempai."

Fuji laughed and then patted the empty seat next to him. Ryoma hesitated for a second, but sat down anyways. He didn't want Fuji to see him hesitate because it would have been mistaken for weakness. He remained quiet as Fuji ordered two cups of coffee for them and started watching the people again. He needed to recruit more people and Fuji knew that too and that's why he was purposely making sure Ryoma didn't get any chance to recruit more people. He glared slightly at the smiling man. Ryoma needed what Atobe was going to give him. He needed them because he was too addicted, but ever since Fuji joined them, he'd been keeping a close eye on him. It had always made him suspicious of Fuji, but every time he asked about it, Fuji will always find a way to avoid his questions. He wondered sometimes why Atobe kept a man like him by his side. He understood why Atobe kept Kabaji by his side. That man never said a word and his huge body structure was sure to make any man cower in fear. Sighing, he looked away, ignoring the fact that a cup of coffee was set in front of him. Coffee wasn't his thing anyways. As though on cue, Fuji mentioned the same thing.

"Oh, that's right. You're not a fan of coffee," he said as he waved for the waitress over again, "I'd like to order a glass of ponta."

Ryoma grumbled in response to Fuji's order. He didn't like the idea of Fuji knowing his favorite drink, especially since he didn't know anything about the other man. He was a sneaky one, sly like a fox. Ryoma even thought Fuji looked similar to one as well. That brought him to wonder how Fuji even knew what his favorite drink was. He eyed him suspiciously, unsure if it was be creepy or normal.

"You're thinking how I knew what was your favorite drink and if that should be creepy or normal right?" asked Fuji with his usual smile, a facade to his true nature.

Ryoma hid his shock, but he couldn't help but to bite his lower lips slightly. He wanted to say no, but then Fuji would just claimed he was lying. He silently stared at the other before giving a slow nod. Fuji chuckled at the movement before sipping his coffee.

"Are you a stalker?" asked Ryoma.

"Hm?" replied Fuji as he set his cup of coffee back down on the table, "What do you think?"

"I think you are one. That's why you know so much about me."

"Quite a way of thinking, but not really. I just happened to have taken a liking to you. It's quite funny actually, I told myself to ignore your presence, but my body wouldn't listen. My gaze will follow you wherever you go when you are in my line of sight."

Fuji shrugged as though it was nothing and continued to drink his coffee while Ryoma sat dumbfounded by his sudden openness. He didn't like where the conversation was going, so kept his lips sealed. He was just going to wait for his ponta drink and ignore everything that Fuji had just said. It wasn't something he wanted to think about. He didn't need more trouble in his life. Just then, the drink arrived and was placed in front of him. Ryoma took the chilled glass of the ponta drink and gulped it down. By the time he set the glass back on the table, it was empty. He noticed Fuji arching a brow at the sight.

"I was very thirsty," he muttered as he got up, "Are you done with me? I want to leave."

"Mm, I don't know. Where will you go, Echizen?" asked Fuji as he waved for the waiter to receive his check.

"Why? So, you can stalk me?"

"No, because I know you have nowhere to go."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Echizen...you have no family alive, do you?"

Ryoma frowned and glared at Fuji. He took a step back, distrust forming at the bottom of his heart. He didn't like the look on Fuji's face and he didn't like how he knew so much. Ryoma let out a small laugh, but it wasn't an amused laugh. It was a laugh that said he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Pointing a finger at Fuji, Ryoma said in a low and cold voice, "You, stay away from me. I don't know where you get your information, but stay the fuck away from me."

He turned on his heels and left, not even turning back to see if Fuji had followed or not. There was no footsteps following after him, so that meant Fuji didn't follow him after all. Ryoma made his way back to the park and sat back down on the same brown bench he was sitting on earlier. Sighing, he pressed his forehead onto the palms of his hands as he leaned over, with his knees supporting his elbows. He didn't know how Fuji found out about that and he doubt that he would ever find out.

Ryoma didn't know how long he was sitting there, but it was getting late. Snapping out of his thoughts, he stood up and stretched. As he began to leave the park, he heard some loud voices somewhere in the far distance. Glancing around, he spotted a group of people a few feet away. They were circled around someone.

"I guess they're going to beat someone up," he said to himself.

Shrugging, he started walking away, wanting nothing to do with it, but when he saw who the person was, he did a double take. Ryoma stopped and stood in his place, unsure if he should go help that spiky black hair man from earlier or not. Letting a defeated sigh escape from his lips, he hurried over to the group, catching pieces of the conversation and made it in time just as they threw the first punch. Ryoma jump kicked as the guy from earlier dodged. He was surprised by Ryoma's sudden appearance, but they didn't have the time to chat. They were surrounded and they needed to defeat them first.

The two fought back to back, watching out for each other. Ryoma threw punches and jabs, ducked and dodged, kicked and if it came to the worst of it all, he fought dirty. He was small, but that was his advantage. Tackling one of the last men down, he began throwing punches until his face became a bloody pulp. Blood splattered against his clothes, teeth were knocked out and bones were broken. It was only when he was pulled away that he stopped swinging his arms. Snapping back to reality, Ryoma began to hear the sound of whistles going off around him.

"It's the fuzz!" exclaimed the other.

Ryoma started running after him, escaping from the police. They came to a stop in an alley, catching their breaths. Ryoma wiped the blood-stained fist onto his jacket, staining it.

"Um...thanks for helping me back there. I'm Momoshiro by the way," he said as he straightened himself, "How did you know I was there?"

"I didn't. I just happened to be there by coincidence," replied Ryoma, "Forget it. I have to go before I'm late."

Ryoma waved a hand at him and turned to leave. He needed to get to the building where the event was being held before Atobe threw a fit. He didn't want to be a part of that problem.

"Hey wait!" yelled Momoshiro, "Umm...about that place you talked about earlier...I want to check it out."

Ryoma faced him, staring for a while before nodding his head, "Follow me...but don't regret it."

The place was only a few blocks away. They made it there in just a few minutes. Ryoma stopped in front of an old abandoned building with a large metal gray door. He knocked twice before the peeping hole on the door slid open.

"Password," grumbled the voice in a low and husky tone.

"Aka hachisu," answered Ryoma.

The door opened with a creak and they walked through. Momoshiro was almost stopped by a huge man who was a little dull looking, but Ryoma waved a hand at him.

"He's with me Kabaji. A new recruit," he said as he nodded his head again for Momoshiro to follow.

"There's a password?" asked Momoshiro.

"Yeah, but they change every night. It's a hassle, but it's to make sure no one can get pass easily."

The path was dark but as soon as they passed the red curtain, the world before them was chaotic. It was hazy due to the smoke from the cigarettes and cigars and there were plenty of noises from the crowds' cheering or booing. There were women chained down or caged and the worst part was actually seeing them being gang banged. Ryoma saw Momoshiro cringed in disgust at the sight. Smirking, he stopped in his tracks and tapped his Momoshiro's shoulder.

"There are three rules you have to abide by. One, you either fight or you bet. Two, you can't say a word about this place to anyone. And three, no deserting," said Ryoma as he lid his thumb across his neck, "or it's the death penalty for you."

Momoshiro stared at Ryoma and smiled weakly. Smirking, Ryoma waved a hand at their surrounding.

"What did you say your name was again?" Ryoma asked.

"Momoshiro. Momoshiro Takeshi, but you can just call me Momo," he replied as he brought his gaze to Ryoma's face.

"Well...**Momo**...welcome to the underground fight club."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-FIGHT!** **: Hello Mr. Blue Jay**

Chaotic. That was the essence of the underground fight club. It was a place where men could unleash their inner animal and act wild, a place where the rules of society was a mere whisper. Ryoma pushed through the crowd, dragging along a very shocked Momo. He didn't look too good or too happy to be there, but Ryoma ignored him, at least until they reached a mahogany door. He knocked again, waiting for a response. After a few minutes, Ryoma knocked again, this time pounding against it. It did the work. He heard a voice from the other side calling him in, then he looked over his shoulder to see if Momo was still there. He was, but he was looking at something else. Ryoma's gaze flickered across the crowd and fell upon the situation that Momo was paying attention to. It was a small little fight and the men were holding pocket knives.

"Aren't they going to hurt themselves?" asked Momo.

"It's none of our problems. If they choose to fight each other with knives, then it's their choice. We have no say in it. And if they happen to kill one another, then that's their own business as well. The guilt of killing someone and having someone else bloods on their hands is all up to them," answered Ryoma bluntly, "Forget about them. Come on."

He opened the door and stepped into a large room, decorated with fancy flowers. The aroma of cologne filtered through the air as he closed the door behind Momo. He turned at the sound of Atobe's voice. Before them stood a man about five feet seven inches with dark gray hair, wrapped in a gold robe and drinking red wine from a wine glass. The whole room was either black or red and the bed that was actually in the room had silk for everything, the bed sheets, the pillow cases and even the blankets. A few paintings decorated the wall and a chandelier hung from the ceiling, lighting the room up, but dimly. A mirror hung on the opposite side and to the right of that, two large arm chairs were placed side to side with a small end table in between and a rug under the furniture. Ryoma sighed at the sight. Even though he had stepped into that room plenty of times already, he still couldn't help but feel awed by the sight.

"Are awed by collections?" Atobe asked, directing his question to Momo.

Momo snapped out from his trance and smile meekly, "You have...a lot of things and in an eccentric place."

"You'll be surprised at all the other things he has in the back room," muttered Ryoma.

Atobe smirked and turned around, strolling over to an arm chair and sat down. He crossed his legs and gently set his glass of wine onto the table that was placed next to the chair. He was like a king among them. Even the chair looked like it was only for a royalty. Rolling his eyes, Ryoma stepped forward with Momo following suit.

"This is Momoshiro Takeshi, Momo for short. He's a new recruit," said Ryoma.

"Uh, wait a minute. I'm not sure if I want to join," said Momo as he looked at both of them.

Both Atobe and Ryoma glanced at him in silence. They stared for a while, causing Momo to feel uncomfortable under their gaze. Atobe was the first to break the silence with a small laugh.

"Well, looks like you don't have someone then," he said with a smirk.

"I'll persuade him," stated Ryoma as he turned his attention to Atobe, "Before tonight ends, I'll get him to join."

"Really?"

"Really. So, don't do anything."

"Alright. If you can persuade him to join by the end of the night, I'll let it off. But. If you don't, you know what will happen."

"Understood Monkey King."

"Brat."

Ryoma smirked and turned to leave and once again, Momo followed after him. As soon as the left the room, Ryoma felt the tight grip of Momo's hold on his arm. He winced slightly, turning to face Momo and arching a brow at him.

"We need to talk," muttered Momo.

"Aren't we now?" asked Ryoma with sideways smile.

"In private!"

Sighing, he loosened Momo's grip and led him to another room. There was no one there, but compared to Atobe's room, it was very plain. The stone floor was dirtied, stained with something that Momo believed was blood. The ceiling was broken and there were holes in the wall. It looked isolated and uncared for.

"What the hell did you get me into?" asked Momo, almost hysterically.

Ryoma was half way in the process to sit down on a wooden box when he looked at Momo and arched a brow. Ignoring him for a second, he proceeded to sit down and relax. It was only a few minutes away before the show would start.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself? And what does that guy mean? What will happen if I don't join?" he asked as he paced around agitatedly.

"It's not my fault you chose to come. Remember rule number two? I can't say much about this place or I'm dead," answered Ryoma blandly, "Oh and if you don't join, they'll kill you. You've seen too much."

"Me? Killed? You've got to be fucking kidding me! I want nothing to do with this place."

"Can't do much about that. The choices are you either want to live or you don't."

Ryoma stifled a yawn and lazily rolled his head to the side. He watched in amusement as Momo paced around, fretting to himself. Every person he brought in was like that in the beginning, but once they got the hang of it, they became like everyone else. They thirst for the sight of blood, the feel of the impact of flesh hitting against flesh, and the power to do whatever they want. He had to admit Atobe had something good going on.

"So, if I don't join, I'll die. If I join, I **might** die while fighting," muttered Momo as he stopped pacing and sighed dejectedly.

"You won't die if you keep winning," said Ryoma as he got up and walked to the door, "And you won't die today...if you join."

He opened the door and held it open for Momo. Momo stared at him for the longest time before nodding his head and walked pass him. Ryoma's gaze followed after him before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him. They walked to the where the crowd was gathering. In the middle of the circle, Atobe stood alone with the spot light shining upon him like he was some god. Ryoma rolled his eyes at the sight. It was just like Atobe to so something so diva like.

Atobe snapped his fingers to silence the room before speaking, "Gentlemen, I welcome everyone to the underground fight club! Tonight, we have a few battles, maybe two or three. But the best one will be our grand finale of the night..."

His gaze swept across the crowd and then fell upon Ryoma. His eyes danced with amusement as he smirked at Ryoma.

"It will be the fight between Akutsu Jin and our undefeated brat, Echizen Ryoma," he finished.

The crowd roared in excitement, but Ryoma stood among the crowd with a blank expression. He glanced to the side and saw the man, Akutsu Jin, standing to his far left. As thought Akutsu noticed his gaze, he turned and stared at Ryoma. Akutsu grinned evilly at him before turning away and disappearing behind the crowd.

Momo noticed too and bent down to whisper into Ryoma's ear, "He doesn't look too nice."

Ryoma smirked and shrugged. He didn't really care how the opponent look. He already knew that he was going to defeat the guy. Pushing though the crowd, he stepped forward and placed himself in the middle of the circle with Atobe. That caused Atobe to arch a brow at him, questioning his movement.

"We have a new member," said Ryoma, "His name is Momoshiro Takeshi, a.k.a Momo. Welcome him."

The crowd turned to Momo and began crowding him. He yelled out, cursing at Ryoma, but his voice was drowned by the voices of the other men. Ryoma smirked and turned back to Atobe who was applauding him.

"Nice job," he said amusingly, "You'll get your reward after tonight. By the way, good luck with your fight against Akutsu. I hear he's an...unmerciful fighter."

"Doesn't matter," muttered Ryoma, "I'll defeat him either way."

He shrugged and parted ways with Atobe. Deciding it was tome to save Momo, he pushed pass the crowd and grabbed the older man by the hands. He dragged him away and into an emptier area, but it still had a great view of the so called "ring." He sat down in a chair and motioned for Momo to sit next to him, which he did. Momo leaned back into it, trying to get comfortable.

"I still don't like this place," grumbled Momo.

Ryoma grunted in response. The first fight was beginning. He didn't know who they were, except that they were just men who became bored of the rules in society and who just wanted to know what it was like to live on the dangerous side of life. Impudent, useless beings that were expendable. They were toys for entertainment and their deaths meant nothing...every one of them.

The first strike was made by the taller man. He had more muscle and there was an air of cockiness around him. His first strike, however, was just a feint. He was joking around, jumping from side to side on his feet and laughing. The man was underestimating the smaller man and that was his mistake. The younger man easily slipped pass him, striking him fiercely with his fist in the solar plexus. The taller man bent over and cringed in pain before yelling out in small screams as the smaller man did continuous strikes. The smaller man wrapped his hands around the other man's neck, forcefully pushing it down as he brought his own knees up and smashed it into his face, causing his nose to bleed. The taller man fell to his knees, rolling his head side to side. The small man steadied him, positioned his head and then bent his arm, striking his elbow at the middle side of the neck. The sound of the elbow bone hitting with impact against the side of the neck indicated the hit was done perfectly. Ryoma winced slightly at the sound of it. The taller man fell forward, knocked out. The smaller man was the winner and the crowd screamed, cheering and whistling.

"That went by a lot faster than I expected," said Momo, "And it turned out differently too."

"Don't underestimated your opponents. That's only a cause to your defeat," Ryoma said as he tipped his cap forward again and closed his eyes, "Tell me when my match is next."

"You're going to sleep with all these noises?"

"Not sleep...just closing my eyes."

Ryoma shifted a bit, getting comfortable. When he found his comfort zone, he relaxed and momentarily fell into a light slumber. He didn't know how long he had closed his eyes for, but he felt Momo shaking him awake. Ryoma opened one eye, tipping his cap up and glanced to the side to eye him. He arched a brow slightly at Momo, questioning him.

"You're up next," he said as he pointed a thumb to the circle where Atobe was now standing and building up a cheer for the grand final fight.

Ryoma sighed and stood up, stretching his arms and legs. As soon as Atobe was done with the introductions, he walked towards the crowd, pushed pass them and entered the circle where the spot light brightly shined on him. In a few minutes Akutsu Jin entered the circle with a smug look. He took a fleeting look at Ryoma and then smirked.

"You're quite small. Can you really deal any damage with such a small body?" he asked amusingly.

"Tch," muttered Ryoma as he stuffed his hands into his pocket.

The crowd laughed nervously with them. Ryoma assumed he was still quite new to the club. For the last few days, Ryoma hadn't actually been in a fight. He was wondering when Atobe was going to make him fight and it seemed like he was just waiting until he found the right opponent.

Ryoma stifled a yawn as Atobe snapped his fingers and the match began. Akutsu took off his jacket and threw it to the side for the crowd to catch. Ryoma eyed the jacket and then brought his attention back to where Akutsu was standing, but he had suddenly disappeared from his sight. The light above him suddenly darkened, causing him to look up. Akutsu had jumped up and was now coming back down and heading straight for Ryoma. Ryoma side stepped to avoid it, but was a bit late. He felt the heavy pressure of the other on top of him before he felt the impact of the cold, hard floor. Wincing in pain, he tried to fight off Akutsu, but the man had pinned him down. Multiple strikes were given to his face. Ryoma could taste the metallic blood in his mouth as he struggled to regain control. A small opening where Akutsu took a few minutes to pull his fist back gave Ryoma enough time to avoid by moving his head to the side. This took Akutsu by surprise, allowing Ryoma to free his hand and with all his strength, punched him in the throat. Akutsu coughed from his strike, giving Ryoma more time to changed their rolls. He wrapped one of his arms tightly around one of Akutsu's arm and stood up to gain his balance. With his other free arm, he bent it and used his elbow to strike Akutsu in the back of his head, half an inch below the base of the skull. The hit caused Akutsu to double over. Ryoma twisted the arms he had locked and repositioned himself so that he was behind Akutsu. He hit the arm inward, breaking the bones and causing it to rip out of the flesh. The painful screams of Akutsu filled the room as Ryoma turned him over and knocked him to the floor where he made continuous blows to Akutsu's face right below the nose. Blood gushed down and it was a possibility that his nose was broken too, but Ryoma continued pounding into him until the man knocked out.

He stood up slowly as the body beneath him went limp. The crowd was silent for a few seconds before they went up in a roar. Wiping the blood off of him, he pushed pass the crowd and walked towards Atobe who was clapping. At the sight of Ryoma, Atobe raised a brow.

"Get him to a hospital," murmured Ryoma.

"And just a few seconds ago you were beating the crap out of him," said Atobe with an amused smile.

Ryoma said nothing as he turned, walking away from the crowd and everything. He heard the snapping sound of Atobe's fingers and his command to take Akutsu to the hospital. How they handled the doctors to not question them was all their own business. It wasn't something that mattered to him. He met up with Momo who was amazed by his skills. He went on and on about the fight that Ryoma ended up ignoring him. Fighting wasn't something he enjoyed; it was a way of living in a cold and harsh world. The night was coming to an end as Atobe made his final speech. The men began to scatter out in small groups. Momo and Ryoma had walked out together side by side, silence hanging between them.

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways," said Momo, "It looks like I have no choice but to join..."

"Tomorrow at the same time. Password will be Byakuren," stated Ryoma.

Momo nodded to him and then left. Ryoma watched him for a while before turning to leave as well. His back was hurting from the fall and he was sure that there was dried up blood on his face. Every step he took, pain coursed through his whole body. He had never taken a beating like that before. He winced, feeling tired all of a sudden. Looking around at his surroundings, he wasn't really sure where he was. There was a dark alley to his right and to his left, the life of the city glowed brightly. Finding that it was useless to ask for help, Ryoma turned to the dark alley and walked towards it. As soon as he reached the opening, he leaned against the brick wall, sighing in relief. He was so tired and the pain wouldn't go away. Ryoma touched his nose lightly, afraid that it was broken. He felt it, but nothing felt different about it. Sliding down, he sat on the cold cement floor of the alley. He was on the brink of falling unconscious when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. Looking up, he noticed Fuji staring down at him or at least his face was looking down. Fuji never opened his eyes much, but somehow it was still able to show concern.

"Echizen? Are you alright?" asked Fuji as he bent down to help him, but his voice was fading.

Ryoma wanted to push away at the hand that was holding him up. He didn't want help from Fuji, but somewhere along the way his body had lost all its energy and he didn't mind so much. He tried to say something, but before he knew it, the dark abyss enveloped him whole.

It was weird waking up to the smell of coffee, but what was even weirder was waking up in a soft, cozy, comfortable, bed. Ryoma sat up, touching his face and wincing slightly. Getting up, he observed his surroundings and found the bathroom. Slowly, he made his way in there and checked himself in the mirror. It wasn't so bad. He definitely had a bruise and a few cuts that were already bandaged up for him. Frowning, he turned around and left the security of the room, heading down the hall and turning a few corners before he found the kitchen. Someone's back was facing him and he was humming cheerily to himself. Ryoma cleared his throat to get the person's attention. The man suddenly turned around, facing Ryoma with those familiar closed eyes. Ryoma took a step back, but it wasn't because he was shocked by who it was, but because Fuji was holding a knife in one of his hand.

"You're not going to become a murderer for small little insults are you?" asked Ryoma as he stared at the knife.

"Huh? What are you-Oh!" Fuji chuckled and placed the knife down on the counter top, "No, it's not like that. I was making breakfast. Are you hungry?"

Ryoma opened his mouth to reject the offer, but his stomach did the talking. It growled loudly, silencing both of them. Fuji smiled and returned to cooking.

"By the way, you should probably change. I washed your clothes for you. They should be on top of dresser," said Fuji.

Arching a brow, Ryoma looked down at himself and realized that he was only wearing a long t-shirt. Clenching his teethes slightly, he turned back and headed for the room again to change into his normal clothes. He was back in a few minutes and found the table set up with food steaming. Fuji appeared from behind a wall and smiled.

"Sit down, I'll be there in a second," he said as he disappeared again.

Ryoma found no wrong in it and walked over to the table and sat down in a chair. In a few minutes, Fuji appeared again and placed a glass of milk besides him. Ryoma stared at the milk and then at Fuji with a raised brow.

"Well, you're still a growing boy," said Fuji, "Now let's eat."

It was true. Ryoma was still in his teens, sixteen to be exact, but he was a bit short for his age. Silently, he ate the food and finished his milk like an obedient child. Fuji didn't let him clean up, but instead ordered him to sit down on the cream colored couch in the living room. He did as he was told, surprised that he was even listening to Fuji. He sat down and relaxed in the sofa. It didn't take long before Fuji joined him with hot tea. Ryoma reached for a cup and sipped at it.

"Did you win last night?" asked Fuji, breaking the silence.

"Mm hm," answered Ryoma.

"But you got beat up pretty good."

Ryoma frown slightly and glared at Fuji. He didn't want to be reminded of that. Ignoring that last statement, Ryoma continued drinking his tea. Everything that had happened to far wasn't something he had expected. Setting the tea cup down onto the coaster, he leaned back into the chair, curling up into a small ball on the sofa.

"You weren't there," muttered Ryoma.

"Hm? I wasn't where?" asked Fuji with his usual smile.

"At the fight club last night..."

"Oh that...Mmm, I didn't feel like going. Besides, Atobe never sets a fight for me."

Glancing at Fuji for a few seconds, he curiously wondered if Fuji had ever been to the fight club. He never did see the man anyways. Looking away again, he slightly tiled his head to the side.

"Are you ever there at all?" asked Ryoma.

"Yes...I just blend in with the crowd," answered Fuji as he sipped at his tea again.

Silence fell over them after that. Ryoma didn't feel like talking. He merely sat in silence as Fuji watched him carefully. After a while, Ryoma finally got annoyed by Fuji's staring.

"Don't you have anything to do?" asked Ryoma.

"Not really," answered Fuji.

"You're a very boring person."

"Thank you."

Ryoma glared at him, but he just smiled. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he chose to ignore the man once more. It didn't take long before Ryoma got annoyed again.

"It's weird," he said, "Creepy actually. Stop staring already."

"But I can't help it," said Fuji amusingly, "I'm free to do what I want. After all it's my house."

"You have a nice house for someone who's involved with the fight club."

"Really? Maybe I just know how to manage things."

"With this kind of house and living, why are you even in it?"

"Because in every man lies an animal."

Fuji smiled, crossing his legs. Ryoma uncurled and sat up straight. They stared at one another for a while before Ryoma broke it. He didn't know what to think of Fuji, except that he was just one weird man.

"I wouldn't want to be involved with the underground fight club if I could choose it over," muttered Ryoma.

"And why is that?" asked Fuji.

"Because I'm tired of fighting. It's become...uninteresting. It made everything in the world dark."

Ryoma shrugged and leaned back against the sofa. He leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling. He could hear Fuji shift around before he felt the seat next to him sink in. Glancing away from the ceiling and to the side, he saw Fuji sitting next to him with a serious look on his face. It didn't match the smiling man, but Ryoma remained silent, allowing Fuji to contemplate what he had just said.

"Echizen..." said Fuji softly, "What comes after night has fallen? Daylight right? A shadow cannot be without light...where there is darkness, there is light and the only one that can beat it is you and this..."

Fuji had suddenly reached over and placed a warm hand over Ryoma's chest where his heart was located. Ryoma stared at the hand and then up at Fuji who was once again smiling at him. Puzzled, he watched as Fuji stood up and left him to think. The sound of birds chirping caught his attention, breaking his gaze from Fuji's back. He turned his head to the side where a large window faced the world outside. It was a beautiful view with trees and a wide open view of the blue sky. Ryoma got up and walked over to the window where the warmth of the light wrapped around him. Pressing a finger against the transparent window, he saw a blue jay land on the sill. It stared at him with big black eyes, as though it could see right through him.

"Hello Mr. Blue Jay," he whispered before turning away from the light.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

This chapter will contain the usage of the drug, methamphetamine and will also contain a yaoi H-scene while high on the drug. If you are by any means offended by the content, please do not read. I don't want to be flamed for such things. Also, I am NOT encouraging the use of methamphetamine. I do believe that the abuse of drugs is wrong and I do not wish to encourage people to believe that it is fine to abuse it. The description of methamphetamine that I have put in this chapter may contain some false information, even though I did research on it, so if you wish to know more about the drug, I suggest researching about it yourself.

**Ready-FIGHT! : His Kisses were like a Drug**

It a surprise to him that he was able to actually able to stay in Fuji's home even though he had already left for work. The ticking of the clock echoed in his ears as he sat on the couch hiss silence. Fuji's words reverberated in his mind, replaying over like it was some unending video. Sighing, he got up and stretched his arms. Although the house was comfortable, he still felt like a stranger in the house. He needed to get out and do something to get his minds off of things. It was then that he remembered Atobe's promise, so he decided to visit the man. Slipping on his shoes, he opened the door and locked it before he left, just like Fuji had asked him. As much as he liked the idea of leaving it unlock, he wasn't that rude, especially since Fuji had helped him, though he didn't like that fact either. Tugging his cap, he covered his eyes and began to walk down the street, heading back to the familiar streets he knew too well. The town was a place he knew like the back of his hand. Even though he had only been living there for a few years, he knew every crook and cranny of the city. He knew the best places to hide, to sleep, or to even find food. An old abandon warehouse somewhere near the ocean was the best place to find some peace and quiet since no one went there and the old apartment was the best place to sleep when it was raining. After a few minutes, Ryoma made it to Atobe's house...or mansion. It was somewhere on the outskirt of the town, away from all those "commoners." It wasn't that far off from where Fuji was living though, so the walk there only took about twenty minutes. He stood at the gates and rang the buzzer.

"What business do you have here?" asked the voice from behind the speaker.

"I'm here to see the Monkey King," he said.

"Echizen Ryoma, I assume? Atobe-sama was expecting you."

"He was?"

Arching a brow, he stepped back as the gate opened outward. A black car pulled up and the door was opened by a butler dressed in black. Ryoma rolled his eyes at how rich Atobe was. He stepped into the black car and sat in silent as the car drove him to the mansion. When they reached the mansion, the door was opened by the butler again. As he stepped out, the butler bowed his head before he quickly got back in the car and drove back to his post.

"He should do some charity," muttered Ryoma as he entered the house when the door was opened by a few other servants.

He was led upstairs by a maid and then through a few corridors before they came to a stop. He was once again standing before the large two doors. The maid knocked and from behind the door came Atobe's voice. She opened it and stepped aside for Ryoma to enter. He muttered a small thanks and stepped through and looked around the huge room, too big for one person. He spotted Atobe sitting on the bed and a strange woman lying next to him. Atobe glanced in his direction and smirked, getting out of bed. Seeing that he was still naked, Ryoma turned away, blushing a bit. He didn't really want to see the sight of a naked Atobe anyways.

"You can look now," said Atobe as he walked towards a chair.

Ryoma turned and saw that he was now wearing a robe. He strolled over and sat down in the chair next to him when Atobe offered him to sit. Silently, he watched as Atobe grabbed a cigar and lit it. Smoke drifted upward, scenting the whole room.

"You were expecting me?" asked Ryoma, breaking the silence.

"Hm? Yes...because you want that thing right?" he asked as he reached into a drawer besides him.

Atobe grabbed a clear bag and tossed it over to Ryoma. He caught it and stared at the crystal looking drugs. Methamphetamine. Ryoma could feel his body shake slightly at the sight of it. It had been a while since the last time he took them and having them in his hands, he was a bit excited. However, it was more than he had expected. Glancing at Atobe, he raised a brow at him.

"Well, you did win that match last night," said Atobe, "You deserved something. By the way, where did you spend the night?"

"I was found by Fuji on the streets. It seems I blacked out and he took me in," replied Ryoma.

"Oh? Echizen, be careful around that man."

"...Why?"

"Do you not want to be?"

"I am, but isn't he usually your right hand man besides Kabaji."

"Not really. Fuji is a great source of getting information, but I get the feeling there is something off about him. Don't say much around him. I don't quite trust the man."

"Even though he's been there longer than I have?"

"Yes. Now you go along now. And don't finish that bag too fast. It's enough to last at least two months..."

Ryoma shrugged and got up to leave, ignoring Atobe's second warning. He left the same way he came and was even driven back to the front gate. Leaving the mansion with the bag in hand, he decided he would visit the other members from the fight club. He knew that if he brought the meths with him they would probably take some, but it didn't really matter to him. All he had to do was to recruit more people if he wanted more crystal methamphetamine.

However, if he had wanted to find the others, he would have to enter the red light district. He often hated going there because he would get hassled a lot by men and women. But, it was something he put up with if he wanted to meet the others and if they were having a small meeting. When he reached the run down club, he entered it. The bell jingled as he entered and he eyed it wearily. The bartender from behind the counter looked up and smiled. His head nodded lightly to the back door and Ryoma nodded a thanks in return. Making sure that no one saw him, he quietly stalked to the back door and entered it silently. As soon as he entered, he was bombarded with a heavy aroma smell of weed and smoke. It was a hazy fog he had to walk through, but he found his way and sat down in a booth. Music blared through a stereo as people danced on the dance floor. There were plenty of women and men around and no one really cared how old they were. Everyone was too drunk or too high to even bother with it.

"Yo' Echizen," greeted a voice from above him.

Ryoma looked up and nodded in greeting. The man standing before him had orange hair and was known as Sengoku Kiyosumi, nicknamed Lucky Sengoku. Ryoma had heard that he use to be a professional boxer until they found out that he was taking cocaine and he was kicked out. Sengoku slid into the booth and waved a hand at some random girl. She winked back at him, but never came to join them. Instead, she continued to dance.

"What brings you here?" asked Sengoku.

Taking out the bag of methamphetamine, he tossed it lightly, sliding it across to Sengoku who raised a brow at it. His smile suddenly broaden as he got the idea Ryoma was thinking about. He got up and left and a few seconds later he came back with a needle, some cotton, water, and a small cap. Sliding back into the booth, he set the items down as Ryoma opened the bag. Together they crushed the crystal methamphetamine into the cap and added a little of water. Taking a small piece of the cotton, Ryoma dipped it into the solution and then drew up the liquid meths through the cotton by resting the needle on top of the cotton and applying slight pressure. Tapping it lightly, he got rid of the air bubbles and handed the needle to Sengoku.

"I get to go first? How nice of you," he said as he took the needle.

Rolling up his sleeves, Sengoku injected the meths into his veins, letting out a sigh of content and handed the needle back to Ryoma. After sterilizing the needle, Ryoma repeated the process and injected himself with it. A sudden rush of exhilaration coursed through his body. His body shook in excitement, but it only lasted for a second before he was overcome with a sense of euphoria. He set the needle down on the table, letting the drug course through his veins. He suddenly felt like he was on top of the world, like nothing else could be better. He became alert, wanting to get up and do something, but as he was just about to get up to dance, he felt Sengoku's arm wrap around him, pulling him backwards. Arching a brow slightly, he turned his head to look over his shoulders. Sengoku was giving him a perverted smile and scooting close to his back. Ryoma suddenly felt Sengoku's rock hard cock rubbing against his back. He could feel the other man's hot breath, breathing irregularly against the nape of his neck. Ryoma briefly wondered what it would be like if Sengoku touched him, caressing his whole body.

Smirking, Sengoku whispered huskily into his ear, "Hey Echizen, let me touch you. Don't you want to know what it feels like to fuck each other while we're high like this?"

Ryoma remained silent, staring at Sengoku with his blank expression. He actually did wonder what it would feel like. Slowly, he leaned backwards and allowed Sengoku to kiss him. Sengoku's warm tongue ran across his lips and he willing opened his mouth to accept the tongue. He sucked and rolled his tongue across the roof of the other man's mouth, earning a moan from him. Sengoku pulled away, latching his lips at Ryoma's neck as he turned him around so that they were facing each other. Ryoma felt Sengoku unzipping his pants and he began to do the same to him. His breath hitch a bit when he felt Sengoku's hand wrap around his erection. He let out a low moan, lolling his head back.

"Hey, touch mine too," Sengoku whispered as he ran his hand up and down Ryoma's shaft.

Ryoma nodded slowly and slipped his hands under the band of Sengoku's underpants. He mimicked Sengoku's movement, turning hot when he heard Sengoku moan his name. Smirking, he pumped his hand faster until they both ejaculated into each others' hand. Unexpectedly, he was pushed back and landed on the cushion of the seat with a small thud. Sengoku was straddling his hip as he began to repeat the same process Ryoma had done earlier to get the meths into the needle. He smiled slowly and placed the needle on Ryoma's vein. He leaned down for another kiss, sliding his tongue across Ryoma's awaiting tongue. Injecting the meths into Ryoma while kissing him brought Ryoma into the brink of ecstasy. Ryoma groan, thrusting his hips forward when Sengoku started to rotate his hips, grinding it into Ryoma. Sengoku injected himself again and the next thing Ryoma felt was his pants being pulled off as Sengoku suddenly thrust a finger inside his ass. Ryoma hissed in pain and became uncomfortable. He didn't like the feeling of some strange object being thrust into him. He wiggled and writhed under Sengoku, but that only aroused Sengoku. Then, out of the blue, Ryoma let out a cry of delight when Sengoku brushed across his sweet spot.

"Just wait Echizen," said Sengoku, "Everything else will feel even better."

Ryoma didn't care anymore, allowing Sengoku to take the lead. He just wanted the pleasure that Sengoku was giving him. The only thing he heard was his own ragged breathing and the sound of Sengoku slamming his erect cock into him, skin against skin. In the midst of the sex, Ryoma noticed a figure watching them. He ignored it, enjoying the pure bliss he was receiving. He didn't even care either when the same person snagged the bag of methamphetamine on the table. They had already used up a quarter of the meths before it was stolen. He heard Sengoku grunt and felt the final hard thrust as Sengoku came inside of him. After a few seconds, he followed suit and let out a content sigh. He wasn't sure what happened next, just that he was extremely tired. Sengoku had passed out after releasing his seeds and sprawled on top of him. Ryoma tried to push him off, but he was too exhausted and so he passed out too.

He woke up later to Sengoku shaking him awake. Ryoma groaned and sat up slowly. The after effect of the meths was kicking in and he was having a crash. He got up slowly, taking his pants from Sengoku and slipping it on. He was surprised that Sengoku was actually handling it better than he was. Groaning again, Ryoma leaned against the wall for support. He could still hear the sound of the blaring in the background as he made his way to the backroom. When he entered, the first he checked was himself. He looked in the mirror rubbed his eyes softly. He looked like crap and he felt like crap too.

"Ugh," he mumbled as he walked back out.

Sengoku had disappeared, leaving him to get out of the club on his own. He checked his watch and realized that it was already almost time for the fight club to meet. Slowly, he walked out of the room and left. He opened the door quietly and sneaked pass the bartender, leaving the club. While he was walking, he felt something sticky run down his leg. Stopping abruptly, he became aware of it and grimaced at the thought. It was Sengoku's semen from when he came inside of him. Gritting his teethes together, he chose to ignore that there was something there and continued on his way. There wasn't time for him to stop.

He reached the old shack and knocked on it. Kabaji opened it and nodded at Ryoma. He didn't really need to say the password since Kabaji knew who he was already. Ryoma entered the building and made his way to the circle of people. Momo was there and he was already getting close to the others. He spotted Sengoku somewhere in the distance, but he made no movement to approach the orange hair man. Instead, he made his way over to Momo.

"Hey Echizen," greeted Momo, "A bit late aren't you?"

"Some things...came up," muttered Ryoma as he shrugged, "It hasn't even started though."

"Nah...Atobe hasn't come out yet."

Nodding, he turned and walked to the door where Atobe was currently in. He knocked and Atobe called him in. It was the second time of the day he saw the man and he was still as cocky as ever. Atobe turned around and his smirk wiped from his face. He was arching a brow at Ryoma now.

"Shit Echizen, you look like shit," Atobe said with concern as he walked closer, touching a lock of Ryoma's hair, "You didn't use all of it did you?"

"Nah...I think Sengoku and I used about a quarter of it," said Ryoma, "Since when did you show so much concern?"

"Fuck, that's still a lot to use in one day. Of course I would be worried, I was going to put you on tonight too. Damn, looks like you won't be fighting tonight."

"Why? I can still fight. It's not like I'm that addicted to it that I can need it just so I can function. I mean, sure I need it from time to time, but it's not like I use it every single day. The meths you give me tends to be shared out to everyone."

"I don't fucking care. You're not fighting tonight looking like this. Tonight you'll just watch."'

"Ugh, fucker."

"I know and here."

Atobe handed Ryoma a wad of money, causing Ryoma to raise a brow at him. He didn't usually get a good amount of money like this.

Atobe rolled his eyes and said, "It's your share from last night. You did win the match."

"Oh," mumbled Ryoma as he took the wad of money and stuffed it into his pocket, "By the way, do you have a shower in your bathroom?"

"Yeah, I do, why?" asked Atobe.

"I need to use the shower. Sengoku came inside of me and it left a mess. It's still in me."

"Ugh, fucking brat, I did not need to know that. Shit, go ahead and use it. I'm going to start the fight now."

Atobe waved a hand at Ryoma and left the room. Shrugging, Ryoma walked into the bathroom, peeling his clothes off and stepping into the shower. He let the hot water run down his body as he relaxed in the shower. Looking at his arm, he saw the puncture holes from the injections. There was quite a few new ones and some old ones. He sighed and finished cleaning himself off. He dried himself quickly and slipped his clothes back on. His hair was still wet, but he didn't care about it that much. Quickly, he left the room and blended himself back in with the crowd where the fights began.

As soon as the fights were over, Ryoma and Momo left together. Momo was excited, but Ryoma was bored. They were leaving the building when one of the fight club member bumped into Ryoma. The member turned around and growled at Ryoma.

"Man, look where you're going shorty," growled the man.

Ryoma stared at him and said, "Why don't you look where you're going old man? You're the one that bumped into me. Shouldn't you be apologizing?"

His words pissed off the man and to piss him off even more, Ryoma flicked him off. The man let out a yell and punched Ryoma in the face. Ryoma, now pissed, spit his blood on the floor before he ran and tackled the man down. The man fell with a hard thud as Ryoma pounded his fists into him. He was easily irritated, due to the after effect of the meths He was angry and he wanted to kill the man for hitting him. He grabbed the rock and smashed it into the man's face, but as he swing for the second hit, someone pulled him away. He struggled against the hands, but he couldn't break free. He kicked the man before he was tugged away and the man was surrounded by other men. Breathing heavily, he let out a frustrated scream and elbowed the person behind him in the stomach. The person let him go and Ryoma face him, shoving him.

"What fuck are you doing Momo?" asked Ryoma as he realized that it was him who pulled him away.

"Do you want to become a killer?" asked Momo with an angry look, "Fuck, just look at the guy!"

Momo waved a hand in the man's direction and Ryoma glanced over. The man's face was partly smashed in because of the rock he had used. Blood oozed everywhere and the men were trying to stop it. Ryoma calmed down slightly, coming to his senses. Gulping, he turned away from the scene and ran, ignoring Momo when he yelled out after him. He felt ashamed for having such thoughts of wanting the man dead. He wasn't normally like this. Before long, Ryoma began to feel depress, another effect of the methamphetamine. He wasn't sure where he was going, but by the time he did realize, he was already standing in front of Fuji's door and ringing the doorbell. The door clicked open and Fuji's shocked face at seeing him in a mess made him feel even crappier. Fuji led him in and sat him down on the couch as he retrieved the first aid kit. Ryoma silently allowed Fuji to patch up his cut cheek since the man has punched him with a ring on his fingers.

"You got beat up again," muttered Fuji softly as he dabbed the cotton on Ryoma's face.

Scowling, Ryoma said, "Tch, it was the guy that got beat up, not me. I wasn't even in the match today."

Ryoma saw Fuji frown in puzzlement, but Fuji didn't ask him anything and just continued to patch up his face. Glancing to the side, Ryoma relaxed a bit, but it didn't last long. After Fuji was done, he felt a strong grip on his arm. Wincing, Ryoma slapped Fuji's hand away. He frowned and glared at Fuji because the place where he had gripped was where he had shot meths up his arm. His glare didn't prevent Fuji from repeating the same thing. Fuji grabbed his arm again and forcefully pulled it towards him. It was then that Ryoma noticed that Fuji's eyes was open. The look on Fuji's face made him scoff.

Ryoma pushed Fuji's hand away again and said, "Don't give me that look like you actually care about what happens to me. I'm just a piece of trash that you picked up from the streets yesterday because you pitied me and don't even start to think that I trust you because I don't."

"Then why did you come back here?" asked Fuji as he stood to sit on the couch besides him.

He wasn't able to answer Fuji's question and turned away. He didn't know why he came back. It was more like his body came here out of its own free will. He didn't plan on coming back.

"Because...you have my jacket still," he lied.

"It has blood stains on it. It's not good anymore," replied Fuji, "You would have tossed it anyways."

Ryoma swiftly turned to Fuji and swung a hand at him, but Fuji stopped him by grabbing his hands. He pushed Ryoma down onto the sofa, locking him by pressing his body over the him. Ryoma struggled under him, but was unable to break free. He scowled and finally gave up after a few tries, breathing heavily from the struggling. He didn't dare look Fuji in the eyes, too afraid that the older man would see through him.

"How many times did you inject the drug into your body?" asked Fuji sternly.

"I don't know," answered Ryoma bluntly.

"Echizen, tell me."

"I. Don't. Fucking. Know. Sengoku was the one doing it after the first time I shot it up my arm."

"Sengoku?''

Ryoma gathered his courage and brought his gaze to Fuji. He smirked slightly and carelessly shrugged, or at least tried since Fuji still had him pinned down.

"Yeah," said Ryoma with an uncaring tone, "Having sex while high on meths is a great experience."

The grip on his arms suddenly tightened. Ryoma winced and glared up at Fuji, but it quickly disappeared when he saw Fuji staring down at him angrily. He had no idea why the man would be angry. It wasn't like he cared about what he did to his body. Ryoma looked away again, not wanting to confront that angry look.

"You slept with him?" asked Fuji in a low tone.

"Yeah," answered Ryoma.

The grip had loosened somewhat and after a few silent moments of Fuji staring at him, Fuji got off of him. Ryoma sat up and watched as Fuji turned around slightly at an angle. Confused at what the man was up to, Ryoma got up to leave. He didn't like the way things were going and turned to head to the door, but he felt Fuji's hand wrap around his wrist. He was suddenly pulled down towards Fuji. Turning around, he tumbled and fell forward into Fuji's lap where his lips collided with Fuji's. His eyes widened as Fuji deepened their kiss. Ryoma tried to pry away, but Fuji wasn't letting go of him. He felt Fuji's tongue slip into his mouth and slide across his own tongue. He moaned softly, falling into the sweet kiss. It was like candy, sweet and addicting. When Fuji pulled away from the kiss, a string of glistening saliva connected between them from their mouths. Ryoma stared at Fuji with half closed eyelids, wanting more of the kiss. He slowly followed Fuji's lips, yearning for another sweet tasting kiss. Connecting their lips again, Ryoma took the lead, sliding himself on top of Fuji's laps and tipping his head back so he could have better access. Eventually, Fuji took the lead again, pushing Ryoma back onto the sofa. His kisses weren't like Sengoku's. They were tender and soft, gentle and sweet. They tasted of vanilla and cream. Ryoma loved it, leaning into the kisses because he wanted more. He felt Fuji's lips brush delicately across his cheeks, leaving a tingling feeling in the trail. Squirming, Ryoma tried to lock his lips back with Fuji, but Fuji avoided him, chuckling softly into his ears.

"Echizen, what do you want me to do?" he asked in a whisper.

Ryoma clenched his teeth together, not wanting to answer the older man. He disliked the way Fuji was teasing him. He let a small gasp when Fuji licked his earlobe and scowled afterward, knowing that Fuji was probably smirking.

"You have to tell me or I won't know what to do," said Fuji amusingly.

"Nn...damn it! Just kiss me already you bastard!" yelled Ryoma.

"How very vulgar. I wish you could have told me in a cuter way, but since you told me..."

Ryoma growled in anger, but Fuji latched his lips with his again, silencing him. Ryoma moaned into the kiss and closed his eyes as Fuji did everything else. His kisses were like a drug. He was addicted to them and he never wanted it to stop. He just wanted them to fill him up until he was satisfied, until he was full of the soft kisses and could no longer think.

"Fu...ji," he whispered when Fuji finally pulled away again.

"Why don't you go to sleep?" asked Fuji, "You're probably tired."

"I can't...the methamphetamine I took are going to keep me awake. I was actually surprised that I had blacked out that time..."

"Then I'll stay by your side until you fall asleep."

"It won't work..."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"Let's just...stay like this for a while."

Nodding, Fuji wrapped his arms around Ryoma protectively, their bodies molding against each other as though they were made for each other. Relaxing, they lied besides each other on the sofa, quietly enjoying the short peacefulness.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-FIGHT! : The Warmth of His Embrace**

The peacefulness Ryoma had felt was short. In a matter of minutes after Fuji had fallen asleep, he was up and about. He was too jittery to sleep and found himself staring intently at a dark stain in the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world. After a few minutes, he got bored of it and began to pace the house. He wasn't sure how long he had paced the house, walking into the same room, mumbling under his breath, and looking side to side as though someone was watching. He became paranoid and sometimes thought he was seeing a shadow following him. By the time he finally snapped out of his hectic behavior, morning had already risen. Ryoma sat on the wood floor of the living room, staring at the window as the golden rays of the sun slowly eased in. Somewhere behind him, he heard the sound of clothes rustling and a quiet groan. He ears perked at the noise and he swiftly turned around to see Fuji getting up. He stared with a blank expression, soon finding himself becoming exhausted.

"Hm? Ah, good morning Echizen. You're up early," greeted Fuji with a yawn.

"I didn't sleep," muttered Ryoma, "But I am tired now. I'm going to sleep now."

"Huh? Echizen?"

Ryoma allowed the darkness to enclose around him as he closed his eyes and fell to the floor with a thud, falling asleep immediately. He woke up hours later to the sound of dishes clanking against each other, finding no discomfort or coldness at all. Instead, he found himself quite comfortable and warm. Sitting up, he realized he was in the same bed from last night and in the same room. He hadn't slept in a bed for the last three years, so waking up in a bed for two days in a row was quite an amazing thing. It brought back memories when he still had a home and suddenly he felt nostalgic. He never realized how much he had missed sleeping on a bed rather than the cold cement of the streets or the broken wooden floors of an abandon apartment complex. Like déjà vu, Ryoma got up from the bed and followed the noise. He once again found himself staring at Fuji's back as he washed the dishes. Sighing rather loudly, it caught Fuji's attention, causing the older man to turn around and face him with soapy hands.

"You're finally awake. It's already late in the afternoon. You must be hungry," said Fuji.

Ryoma didn't say anything, but instead just stare at the other man. He turned abruptly and walked towards the door, where he quickly slipped on his shoes and opened the door. Footsteps thudded against the floor of the house, chasing after him.

"Echizen? Where are you going?" he asked.

"You act like some worried sick wife," muttered Ryoma, "I'm leaving and I'm not coming back either."

"Oh? But you came back last night."

"It was a mistake. I wasn't myself and what happened last night between you and me...I...I just wasn't myself. I don't trust you...it was wrong to come here. I shouldn't have in the first place. Everything was a mistake."

Turning away, he left the house and walked out into the streets. He stopped only for a brief second when he heard Fuji calling out to him. With his head bowed, staring at the ground, he listened to Fuji's next words.

"But Echizen...if you ever need a place to stay, if you ever feel lonely or even if you just want to have a place to call home, my doors will always be open for you," he said softly.

There was no reply from Ryoma, just a simple shift of the feet as he lifted his head and walked away from the house. He didn't want to stay there any longer because there was a line he had drawn for himself. He wasn't going to get close to anyone anymore and staying with Fuji meant stepping over that line. Unsure of where to go, he roamed the area, visiting places and stores, but soon he became bored of it. He found himself in an abandoned building where some of the members in the fight club would stay when they were bored. They were usually gambling or trying to see who would get the new "girl" that had somehow gotten involved with the fight club. In most cases, these girls were teenagers who ran away from home and was taken in by members, believing they would find a better place, however, they would only find themselves surrounded by horny men that use them like whores. Ryoma never took part in it. He often thought it was stupid and he did feel a little sorry for those girls.

He stepped inside the building, ignoring the stares. Sitting in one of the couches, he watched as the men gambled and joked. When they were like this, they were all harmless. From the corner of his eyes, he caught Sengoku approaching him along with another person. Glancing up, he watched in silence as Sengoku sat down besides him with a goofy smile. Ryoma's gaze darted to the other person he placed himself in a chair across from them.

"You remember Mizuki right?" asked Sengoku.

"Un...the guy who stole my bag of meths yesterday," stated Ryoma, "Did you use it all?"

"Ahh, that...well, you and Sengoku looked like you were enjoying each other presence, I thought I could take it off your hands. Sorry, I kind of shared it out," replied Mizuki with a shrug.

"Hmph, you owe me then. It was awfully kind of the Monkey King to even give me more than I should have been given."

"Oh? Well then, I'll take a mental note to repay you."

"Un."

Ryoma looked away and back to Sengoku who waved a bag filled with rice balls and drinks from a convenience store. He handed two rice balls and a drink to Mizuki and Ryoma before taking his own. Nodding his head in thanks, Ryoma began to eat in silence. He had finished one rice ball when he began to notice the stares from the people around him. Grunting silently, he turned away from the people and faced Sengoku instead, who was smiling stupidly at him.

"What?" asked Ryoma.

"It's rare to see you here," he said as he nodded to the other members, "They're only fascinated by the undefeated champion. After all, you never lost a fight yet."

"So?"

"Soo...it's a bit uncomfortable to be hanging around someone who is considered "better" than the rest. Oh, and they also think you're Atobe's little pet."

"Little pet?"

"Yeah, you know...like his fuck buddy because you tend to be on good terms with the guy."

"Where the fuck do they get that idea?"

Sengoku shrugged and laughed before he went back to eating. Rolling his eyes, Ryoma turned back to the group of men and glared at them, causing them to look away uneasily. He crossed his arms across his chest and brought his gaze over to Mizuki who was stifling a laugh. Arching a brow at him, Ryoma pondered briefly what the man was laughing about.

"You're a funny person," said Mizuki with a cocky smile.

"I don't remember being funny," Ryoma said.

"It's just that you don't even notice the way the guys look at you. Have you ever noticed that you're the only one that Atobe seems to favor. You are also the only person he ever lets into that room when we have a meeting and the only that's ever been inside his house."

"..."

Ryoma shrugged nonchalantly and resumed drinking, trying to ignore Mizuki's chuckles. It was annoying, so he decided that he wouldn't be speaking with the guy either. He turned back to Sengoku who was lazily leaning his head into the palm of his hand.

"Do you miss it?" asked Ryoma.

"Huh? Miss what?" asked Sengoku as glanced in Ryoma's direction.

"Boxing," answered Ryoma, "Do you regret what you did?"

"What's this? Little Echizen is interested in me? Don't let what we did yesterday get into your head now."

"Che, as if I would fall for a guy like you. You're not interesting enough for me."

"Aww, that's mean!"

Ryoma rolled his eyes, annoyed by the other man. He finished his drink and set it on the floor next to his feet and was about to sit back up until he felt Sengoku run his fingers down his spine. He shivered at the touch and glared up when he heard Mizuki laughing again. He pushed off Sengoku's hand and leaned back into the couch. Sengoku wasn't discouraged by his antics though, instead he wrapped an arm around Ryoma's neck, tugging the smaller male closer to him. Ryoma looked up from under his cap, puzzled by what Sengoku was trying.

"You're not high are you?" asked Ryoma.

"No, but after I remembered yesterday I got aroused," replied Sengoku with a smile.

Growling under his breath, Ryoma pushed himself away from Sengoku only to find himself in the arms of Mizuki. Arching a brow at the other man, he tried to pry away, but was unable to since Sengoku had pushed himself right behind him. Ryoma was trapped between two men who were staring hungrily at him.

"What the hell are **you **doing?" Ryoma asked, pointing his question at Mizuki.

"You looked like you were having fun yesterday. To be honest, I was awed by you," replied Mizuki, "I wanted to see more."

"So you're a voyeur."

"Hmm, yesterday I was, today I intend to join."

"Join? We aren't going to be fucking each other."

Scowling slightly, Ryoma pushed both of them off and grabbed the rice the ball before escaping the two men. He sighed and decided it was time for him to leave. He heard Sengoku calling after him, but he ignored the man. He was heading out when he suddenly heard a small whimper. Glancing to the side, Ryoma saw a young girl around his age tied to a pole. It wasn't surprising to see such a sight because they had plenty of women imprisoned around the place, but this girl caught his attention. Her long, brown, braided hair swept around her as she gasped lightly. A red flush colored her face as her legs trembled visibly. Ryoma walked over to her and squatted down before her. She winced and tried to move away from him, but the chain that bound her legs didn't let her get far. She was wearing a white skirt and a pink lacy bra and from the looks of it, Ryoma assumed the men had ripped off her shirt and tossed it somewhere; her underwear was most likely missing as well. His gaze swept over her and landed between her legs. She whimpered again, causing Ryoma to look back up.

"Please...out," she whispered as tears began to pour down the side of her eyes, "Take...out. Please, I beg of you."

Looking away uncomfortably, Ryoma stood back up. He never touched a woman sexually before, but it wasn't like he never thought of it. He didn't want to dirty his hands anyways, but the way she was pleading him with her eyes made him feel guilty. He truly felt sorry for the girl who was practically begging him for help. Sighing in defeat, Ryoma squatted back down in front of her. He leaned in close, his hands reaching in between her legs. She gasped as Ryoma reached inside her, taking out the vibrator. Ryoma tossed it aside and looked at his hand in disgust.

"Che, this is what you get for running away from home," muttered Ryoma as he looked round for something to clean his hand with.

"I didn't run away from home," she mumbled, causing Ryoma to look back at her, "I was walking home from school. I was a bit late because I got held back by my club meeting. All of a sudden, a black car drove next to me and I was...I was kidnapped."

She broke into sobs, but no one cared to bother. Ryoma reached into his pocket with his clean hand and handed her his rice ball. She looked up at him, puzzled by it. He stood back up and looked over his shoulders. No one was watching them, so he sat back down.

"Do you have a bobby pin?" he asked quietly.

She nodded and reached into her hair, taking out a black bobby pin. Taking the pin from her, Ryoma started picking at the lock. In a few minutes, the lock clicked and she was no longer bound to the chains. She was about to speak, but Ryoma pressed a finger to his lips, silencing her. He stood back up and motioned for her to follow him quietly. She did as she was told and they left the building without ever being noticed. Ryoma had to lead her into an alley way since she had no shirt on. They rummaged through some junks that were tossed out and found an old shirt that she could put on. She was reluctant, but since there was no other choice, she did.

"What's your name?" she asked as Ryoma led her through alley ways.

Ryoma was hesitant at first, but in the end he told her. "Echizen...Echizen Ryoma."

"That's a very nice name...I'm Ryuzaki Sakuno."

"Hnn..."

Stopping abruptly, he turned to look at her. Just a few feet away was the city, bustling with people. He had to make sure that Sakuno wasn't going to blabber anything to the police. Although it would probably ease her trauma, it was also dangerous. If the members found out, sh was most likely going to be hunted down. Though they may be men of society, they were also beasts and they hold no prejudice against women or children. They will kill anyone who exposed the fight club. That also meant that if Ryoma wasn't careful, he would also be in danger. Even if he did try to tell Atobe what the men were doing to these women, it wasn't like Atobe could do much. Atobe may have control over them when they were all together, but when everyone was out of his sight, he had no control over what they did. So even though Atobe did despise the fact that the members were kidnapping girls, he couldn't do anything either.

"You have to promise never to speak a word of what really happened to you. The men that kidnapped you, you can't go to the police about them," said Ryoma.

"What? Why? I just got kidnapped and ra-raped. There has to be some kind of justice," she said with a frown.

"If you did, they'll find out. They'll be after you and then when they find you again, they will kill you and maybe your family. They don't care..."

"But...but...I..."

Ryoma shook his head and she looked to the floor in despair. There was nothing that could be done. Ryoma gave her a few instructions, telling her to tell a lie about what happened to her and then making sure that she moved away from the town. She was also never to tell who set her free. Nodding her head, she turned to leave, taking one last look over her shoulder to watch Ryoma as he turned away. She wondered briefly if she would ever meet him again before taking her leave as well.

He had gone to a nearby park where he could wash his hands in the public restrooms. He knew without a doubt that the other guys would be in a panic by now. They must have noticed the girl was goen by now and they were most likely going to point fingers at him. After all, he left at the same time the girl disappeared. Sighing softly, he finished washing his hands and was about to leave the restroom when he was suddenly pushed back. Cursing under his breath, he looked up to see who did that to him. He found himself confronted with a group of men.

"Who the hell are you guys?" he asked, glaring at them.

"You don't remember us?" said one guy, "Remember what you did to my face!"

Ryoma frowned and took a good look at the man. His face was a bit messed up and that's when he remembered two nights ago when he had helped Momo fight off that group. They were the same guys from before. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by at least ten men. One man reached for him, but Ryoma dodged and twisted around him. He grabbed the man by the neck and smashed his face into the door of a stall. He was able to escape a few hands, but more hands flew at him. They weren't going down and in the end, he had failed in escaping them all together. Struggling, he kicked his feet and at few of them, but they dodged his kicks. They pushed him against the dirty floor of the restroom, laughing at the sight of him.

"Hey, when you take a closer look at him, he's actually kind of cute," said one guy.

"You're right," agreed another, "Wanna try doing him?"

"Not a bad idea," responded another guy, "I call first dibs on him. Five of us watch the door while the other five do him. We'll switch places when we're done."

Ryoma struggled even harder, but the five men that were left were strong. They bent him over on his knees, laughing as they enjoyed the torment they were giving him. He felt cold air brush against his lower region as he pants was pulled down. Two men knelt at his side, holding his arms, one at the front, one at the end and another just watching with a cell phone in hand, recording the whole thing. Wincing in pain, he felt a finger being inserted inside him. He clenched his teethes together, only to find himself being forced to take in an erect length into his mouth. Ryoma gagged as the man in the front thrust inside his mouth. Against his will, Ryoma felt his own body betraying him. He moaned quietly as the man behind him pushed in another finger.

"Hey, he just moaned," said the one with the cell phone, "I can't wait send this out. It'll be so awesome. I want to try next."

"No way, I'm going to go next," said another guy, the one who was holding his right arm.

Feeling the guy loosen his grip on his right arm, Ryoma regained control of himself and tugged his hand away. The man was taken by surprise as Ryoma grabbed him by the face and pushed him as hard as he could. Ryoma heard the man's head hit harshly against the urinal, knocking him out. The man in front looked to side, taking aback by the sudden attack, leaving time for Ryoma to take his next action. He bit the man's cock, gaining a scream in agony as he pulled away from Ryoma, falling to his knees. Using his free hand, Ryoma punched the other guy who was holding onto his arm, causing the man to fall backwards. The man behind him pulled his fingers out of Ryoma and was about to grab Ryoma by the hair, but Ryoma swiftly turned around and bit his ear until he bled.

"Fuck! He bit my ear!" he yelled as Ryoma got up to pull his pants up.

Just before he left the restroom, Ryoma grabbed the fallen cellphone and tossed it into a toilet. The other five that were watching the door were taken by surprise when they saw him running through the door. They began chasing after him, however, Ryoma knew the streets and alley ways too well and he lost them in just a few minutes. He came to stop behind a wall in an alley to catch his breath, leaning out just a little to see if anyone was following him. Seeing that no one was there, he slid down, resting against the cold wall as he tried to calm himself.

"Shit," he muttered, "Shit, shit, shit."

Today wasn't a good day for him. It was like all of sudden everyone wanted to have a piece of him. He wondered if he was releasing some kind of pheromone. After sitting in the alley for half an hour, he looked up to the sky to see the red and orange hue of it. It was already evening and there was no fight club since he hadn't received any word about it. That also meant he needed to find a place to stay for the night. While standing up, it was then that he realize just how much his body was trembling in fear. Gritting his teethes together, he tried to get a hold of himself, but it was useless. His body wouldn't stop shaking and he couldn't forget what had just happened to him.

"I wonder if this is what she felt like," muttered Ryoma as he slowly made his way out onto the streets.

As he walked, he tried to find a way to shake off his trembling, but each time he did, his own body would recall the event and his body would shake again in fear. Ryoma became paranoid, turning to look over his shoulder as every sound of footsteps. Night was falling and he still hadn't decided where to stay for the night. The streets were now dangerous and he didn't feel like staying in an abandon apartment complex where he could be found again. It would leave him vulnerable to whoever spotted him. Covering his mouth, he began to laugh quietly to himself. It was funny how he never thought about how dangerous the streets were until something happened to him. Fighting was nothing, but when he found himself unable to escape, fear enveloped him. Night was falling and there was nowhere safe for him...except for one place. Unconsciously, he found himself walking to that same house he had left earlier...the same house he had promised himself never to return to. He stood before Fuji's house, his arms wrapped around himself as though that would protect him. He reluctantly reached out with one hand to ring the door, but no one answered. He rang again and again, but still no one came to the door. Biting his lower lips, he started banging against the door, hoping that Fuji would somehow appear before him, but still, no one came to the door.

He kicked the door and yelled, "You liar!"

Choking back a sob, he sat on the floor in front of the door and leaned against it. He closed his eyes, listening to his own breath as it lulled him to sleep. He didn't know how long he had slept for, but he awoke to a pair of hands shaking him awake. Opening his eyes groggily, he looked up into a pair of blue eyes, staring down at him worriedly.

"Echizen? What are you-oomph!" Fuji was unable to finish question because Ryoma had smacked a fist into his chest.

"You're a liar! You said the door will always be open for me!" he yelled as he continued to hit Fuji's chest, "I waited, but the door didn't open!"

"Echizen..." whispered Fuji as he wrapped his hands around Ryoma's hand, "I was called in for work. I didn't think you would come back tonight."

"You're a fucking liar."

He felt himself trembling again and he knew that Fuji must have felt it because it only cause him to tighten his grip on his hands. Ryoma tried to pull away, biting the inside of mouth to prevent himself from sobbing. Fuji pulled him close, bringing him into a hug. He stopped trembling, shocked by the simple act of a hug. Fuji pulled him even closer, until he could feel Fuji's breath against the top of his head.

"I'm sorry," whispered Fuji, "I'm sorry. I should have been here to open the door for you. I'm here now..."

He was soothed by Fuji's words and he became relaxed in Fuji's warm embrace. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to fall into the warmth of his embrace.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-Fight! : Suspicion**

Ryoma allowed himself to be led into the house by Fuji, not really caring how much weakness he was showing the other man. He was actually comfortable allowing the older man to taking care of him. He even consented to following Fuji's instructions.

"I'll wash your clothes. You can take a bath. My clothes might be a big for you, but you're just sleeping in them," said Fuji as he rummaged through his drawer, "Here."

Fuji handed him a large white shirt and a pair of gray pajama pants. Ryoma took them without a word and headed for the bathroom, where a hot bath was already waiting for him. He stripped himself of his dirty clothes, not even bothering with the fact that Fuji could see him naked. He tossed his clothes to the side where Fuji could pick them up before he rinsed himself off and stepped into the bath, where he relaxed with a sigh. It felt nice, almost as though he was cleansing his own soul. After he finished bathing and dressing, he walked back into the kitchen where Fuji was preparing dinner. Droplets of water dripped down from his hair as he stood by the entrance, unsure of what to do next. Fuji had just turned around and was slightly startled at seeing the sight of him. With a small chuckle, he strolled over to Ryoma, taking the towel that was wrapped around his neck and started to dry Ryoma's hair.

"You seem to be quite childish tonight," said Fuji amusingly.

"Shut up," muttered Ryoma as he took the towel away from Fuji's hand so he could do it himself, "I'm just...a little tired."

"I see...well, dinner will be ready soon. Don't fall asleep yet. You'll need something in that stomach before you go to sleep."

"It's late."

"So?"

"..."

Sighing, Ryoma shook his head and went over to sit on the chair, ignoring Fuji's amused smile. A few minutes later, food was set on the table for two. They ate quietly and when they had finished, Ryoma offered to help wash the dishes, but Fuji insisted he didn't have to, leaving him to head back to the room. A little while later, Fuji came into the room and fixed the bed for him.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"Un," replied Ryoma as he pulled the blankets over himself, "Where are you going to sleep?"

"I'll sleep on the couch. I have to work early tomorrow though. When it's my day off, I'll go make a copy of my key."

"Why?"

"Hm? For you of course. That way, if you need to come back here and I'm not home, you can just let yourself in."

Ryoma silently nodded his head, though hesitantly, and turned to sleep on his side. The door closed with a quiet thud and darkness filled the room. He listened closely to his own breathing as he slowly drifted to sleep.

The heat of the sun woke Ryoma. Sitting up groggily, he rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. Swinging his legs over the edge, he got off the bed and went into the bathroom to rinse up. After he finished that, he walked into the living room. He spotted a white note with something scribbled on it and picked it up to read it.

_Good morning Echizen, _

_Breakfast should be on the table if you're hungry. If you are looking for your clothes, they should be in a basket on top of the dryer. I won't be back until eight in the evening, so please wait patiently. If you do plan to leave, I hope you do return. I should have a copy of the key by the day after tomorrow. Also, check the closet in the hallway. I have a jacket that used to belong to my younger brother. Please use it if you like, after all, your other jacket doesn't seem to be in any good use anymore. I hope that in yesterday's fight club meet, you didn't run into any trouble that caused you to act like the way you were. In all honesty, I love the you who will always spout back witty comments. It makes everything so much more enjoyable. _

_- Fuji Syuusuke_

Ryoma placed the paper back down after he finished reading it, but he stared at the note suspiciously. There wasn't any fight club meet yesterday. They always run on a schedule, meeting on certain days only. He briefly wondered if Fuji even knew what the schedule was like.

"But he would have to know..." muttered Ryoma, "He said he goes..."

He eyed the note wearily and then sighed. He was beginning to trust the man, even though Atobe had already warned him. Shaking his head, he brushed it off and went looking for clothes so that he could change. Afterward, he took the blue jacket in the closet and slipped it on before putting on his shoes and leaving the house. He wanted some answers and the only one who knew them was Atobe, so he had to visit the man again. Grumbling to himself, he knew that it would probably spark some more rumors, but at the moment, he didn't quite care anymore. They could believe all they want, but Ryoma knew that he didn't see Atobe in that way and they held no special relationship. Ryoma chose to believe the idea that the others were just jealous of him.

"Mm, something like that," he muttered as he walked down the streets and back to Atobe's mansion.

When he visited the man, Atobe was actually surprised to see him. Ryoma never visited him more than once a week and already he visited him twice. Rolling his eyes, he sat down in one of the chairs in Atobe's room as the other man poured himself a glass of red wine.

"Would you like some?" asked Atobe.

"No," answered Ryoma immediately.

"Hmph, you would take drugs that are bad for your body and drink alcohol, but you won't drink red wine that's suppose to be good for your body."

"You're the one providing the meths."

"...point taken."

Ryoma scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. Atobe strolled over and sat down in the chair next to him, smiling as he sipped his wine.

"So, what brings the little brat here?" he asked, "Did you come here for entertainment?"

"Shut it Monkey King. I already have enough trouble with the guys thinking I'm your little pet," Ryoma said half blandly and half disgusted.

"But aren't you my pet?"

Turning his head to look at Atobe, Ryoma glared at him, obviously not please with the idea that Atobe thought of him as his pet. He belonged to no one and he had no intention to belong to anyone either. Atobe just smirked at him and shrugged. Ryoma cursed at him, turning away again.

"Fuji...he doesn't know the meeting schedule?" asked Ryoma, getting right to the point.

"Of course not. I told you already that I didn't trust him," replied Atobe as he set his now empty wine glass down, "I haven't once told him our meeting days and never once has he ever been to one."

"He hasn't?"

"No...did he tell you that he did?"

"...not really."

"Hmmm..."

Atobe got up again to refill his drink. Ryoma silently watched him as he poured the drink into the glass. He was confused as to why Fuji would lie to him. It wasn't like he trusted Fuji in the first place, but he did want to know why Atobe didn't trust him.

"Why don't you trust him?" asked Ryoma.

"There's something fishy about him...the way he smiles and such," said Atobe as he turned around and leaned against the dresser, "Tell me Ryoma, has he tried to...get any information about the fight club."

"No."

"Good. If he tries, don't tell him anything. Until I find out more about him, you're not allowed to tell him anything. I've already told the other members not to say a word to him either. I think he's targeting you, so be careful."

"Why me?"

"Because Echizen...you're still young, the youngest of all the members, the easiest to manipulate because of naivete."

"I am not naïve!"

"So you say, but you fell for his trick, thinking he did go to the meetings."

"You never told me that you didn't let him."

"Ah, but you never saw him, so why would you believe him."

Scowling, Ryoma looked away in anger. He didn't want to think he was naïve and that he could be so easily tricked. He heard Atobe chuckling at his antic, making him turn to look back. Atobe was standing in front of him now and he was staring down at Ryoma with amused eyes. He hated the man, that's why he couldn't understand why the other members would think there was something going on between them. Atobe reached out with a hand, tipping Ryoma's head up by his chin. Slowly, Atobe thumbed across Ryoma's bottom lips. Ryoma trembled at the touch, but he didn't look away from Atobe's gaze.

"Where does your loyalty lie Echizen?" asked Atobe, "In me? The man who picked you off from the streets, gave you a life, and a reason to live...or Fuji? A man you barely even know and obviously, is hiding secrets. Well Echizen? Answer me."

"...you," answered Ryoma after a brief pause, "Even though it's not that great of a life."

"But you are alive because of me."

"Un."

Atobe smiled mysteriously at Ryoma and leaned down close to him.

"Very good," he whispered into Ryoma's ear, "Now then, you should probably leave because I have some important visitors arriving soon. You wouldn't want them to think that you are my lover now do you?"

"Che," mumbled Ryoma as glared up at Atobe, "There is no way in hell would I ever want to be considered your lover or even become your lover."

He got up and pushed Atobe aside, only to have his arm grabbed by Atobe. He swiftly turned around and found himself being dragged to Atobe's bed. He struggled, scratching at Atobe's hand, but was unable to escape. He landed on the bed with a soft thud and felt the heavy weight of Atobe on top of him. Clenching his teeth together, he pushed Atobe away with all his might, but only succeeded to put an arms length between them. He finally looked into Atobe's eyes and realized that the older man was staring down at him with a bit of rage flickering through his eyes.

"What?" asked Ryoma in a growl.

"I heard you released a girl," said Atobe in a low and dangerous tone, "They claim that she disappeared around the same time you left. The lock that bound her was picked...Echizen, you're the only one in the fight club that knows how to pick locks. Why did you let her free?"

"Did you not want me to? I thought you despised how the guys were taking girls off the street and putting the club in danger."

"Yes, but you set her free, which puts our club in danger as well."

"I warned her what will happen if she told the cops. Don't worry...she doesn't look like someone who would tell anyway."

"I sure hope that you are right."

Atobe sighed and released Ryoma, sitting up slowly. Ryoma got up after him, rubbing his arm where Atobe had grabbed him. He glared at Atobe even though he wasn't looking. He couldn't believe how a man who always flaunted his "handsome features" was so strong. Atobe glanced back at him and smiled amusingly. He leaned over and gave a chaste kiss on Ryoma's lips just to tease him, causing the younger boy to yelp.

"I hate you," muttered Ryoma as he wiped his lips, "This is why they think you and I have some special relationship."

"But we do. I found you on the streets fighting some thugs and the way your eyes glared at them entranced me. I just had to take you for myself and now, you're the only one I know that will defeat anyone who gets in your way," said Atobe, "But you know...they say that hate isn't too far away from love."

"Che, and that's all we are to each other. A dealer and his fighter...don't mistake my hate for love. If I ever had a chance, I'd probably kill you."

"The one who took you in? How very cruel."

"And it was very cruel of you to introduce me into this world."

"I was opening your eyes to the world."

"Yeah and it made me realize that the only one I can trust is myself, even if you are the one to took me off the streets."

"At least I taught you something."

Ryoma rolled his eyes and got off the bed. He headed for the door and opened, stopping briefly to turn and look at Atobe.

"I'll keep a closer look out on Fuji," he said, "But it doesn't mean that I'll come to you with information if I find out anything."

"Of course," answered Atobe with a smirk.

Giving one last glare at him, Ryoma turned on his heel and left the mansion. He really did hate the man to his guts.

During the meeting that night for the fight club, they members had caught another member trying to leave. That man was now in the center of the crowd with Atobe announcing that the members could do whatever they wanted. Ryoma watched as Atobe walked off to the side, catching his eyes. Atobe smiled at him before he sat down and picked up his glass of wine. His gaze darted back to the tied up man. He screaming, begging as tears and snot flowed out, to be freed. No one can escape and he knew that Atobe was purposely putting this up for him to see what would ever happen if he tried. Momo scooted closer to him, looking at him worriedly.

"What are they going to do with him?" asked Momo.

"They're going to kill him, but most likely they'll torture him first," replied Ryoma bluntly.

"I can't watch this."

Momo looked away, pressing his hand against his mouths. There were always those who couldn't handle the sight of it and they would often leave the crowd so they couldn't hear the sound of the man screaming. Momo was one of them and he left another crowd. Ryoma spotted Sengoku and Mizuki among that crowd and was surprised that they couldn't handle it either. Shrugging, he brought his attention back to the man who was now bleeding. They had cut his tendons by his feet so he couldn't walk. Nails were pierced into his fingernails as blood pooled below his feet.

"Please...please let me go! I can't do this anymore!" begged the man.

He screamed in agony when one of the members took a knife and sliced down his chest. It was a stab and a long slice down from his chest and to his abdomen. They were gutting him alive. They ripped the cut open, revealing organs. They were stabbing at it, joking and laughing as the man's life slowly stated to fade away. After a few seconds of torture, the man died, his eyes still wide open as blood bled through them. It was horrible sight, but everyone was used to it. All that was left was to hide the evidence. They would cremate his body and bury it in somewhere in a graveyard. Ryoma looked away in disgust and found himself making his way over to where Atobe was sitting.

"Monkey King, I want to leave early," he said.

"Hm? You have a fight tonight," said Atobe, "You'll lose your undefeated titled."

"Then make my fight first."

"You know that your fight is always last because it's the best part."

"I don't fucking care. Make it first."

Atobe looked at him long and hard before sighing in defeat. He waved a hand a Ryoma, indicating that he would change the plans for tonight. Ryoma nodded and walked away, waiting for Atobe to make his announcement. Half an hour later, Ryoma was standing in the middle of the circle. The blue jacket he had worn that day was being held by Momo. He didn't want to dirty a jacket that didn't belong to him. Facing his opponent, Ryoma decided he was going to finish it quick. The man charged at him and he dodged, grabbing the arm that was thrown out to punch him. He twisted it backward and kicked the man behind his knees, knocking him down. Ryoma kicked him in the back, hearing a crack from the arms. The man screamed as Ryoma twisted the other arm and did the same thing, breaking both arms. He let the fall to the ground and inched back, waiting to see if the man would try to get up. He did, but with both arms broken, he couldn't do much except kick, all of which Ryoma dodged. When he became tired, Ryoma stepped in, uppercutting him in the jaw. He heard another crack, this time from the jaw. His opponent fell to the ground again, unable to stand because the pain was too much.

"Give it up," said Ryoma as he squatted down next to the man so he could hear him, "If you give up now, then nothing else will happen."

The man reluctantly nodded his head and gave in. Ryoma stood up and walked pass the silent crowd. He grabbed the money that belonged to him for winning the fight and nodded towards Momo. He was leaving and he was sure that from the look of Momo's face, he wanted to leave to. Momo handed him his jacket and they both left the fight club.

"That was fast," said Momo.

"I wanted to leave early," answered Ryoma, "You look horrified."

"Because I didn't expect them to...well, kill that guy so easily. Don't they have a conscious?"

"After years of spending time there, you will eventually lose your conscious. By the time you know it, killing is like second nature to you. It becomes apart of you, like a body, a limb and you won't even think about what you did."

"But you're not like that."

"I've only been in the fight club for three years."

"Oh...I wonder if...I'll become like that too."

Ryoma gave Momo a side way glance. He was looking bummed out and Ryoma felt guilty for that since he was the one that introduced Momo to such a club. Ryoma glanced away and allowed silence to befall upon them as they walked through the cold night.

"You didn't get that bandana guy to join," Ryoma said to break the silence.

"Huh? Oh, you mean Kaidoh...yeah, I don't think I want him to. Even if I hate the guy, it doesn't mean I want to mess his life up," Momo said.

"..."

Ryoma nodded and stopped. The pathway split in three directions and that was where he and Momo would also split. Momo waved goodbye and left first. After waiting a few minutes, Ryoma turned to his right and walked back to the house where someone was waiting for him. It was already eight thirty in the evening and when he reached the house, the lights were turned on, as though welcoming him back. He opened the white gate and walked onto the porch, ringing the doorbell hesitantly. The door clicked and it opened. Standing before him was Fuji with his usual smile.

"Welcome back Echizen," he greeted.

"Yeah," greeted Ryoma as he entered into the house.

He took off his shoes and sat on the couch. The aroma of food drifted through the house, causing his stomach to grumble. He blushed slightly, seeing that Fuji had heard it and was giggling. Ryoma scowled under his breath and huffed.

"You came back," said Fuji's voice from somewhere in the kitchen.

"To return the jacket," replied Ryoma as he took it off and placed it besides him.

"You could have always returned it another day."

Ryoma bit his bottom lips, unable to answer. Truthfully, he came back because he was curious about Fuji, but he wasn't going to tell that to the man any time soon. If Fuji was going to sneak around, then so was he. He wanted to find out who Fuji really was and what he was hiding behind that smile of his. Even if it took a while, he was still going to find out why because from somewhere in the back of his mind, he had a feeling that his life from now was going to change drastically.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

For those who had asked if this was going to be an Atobe x Ryoma pair, my answer is no for the overall storyline, however there are scenes and hints of Atobe x Ryoma sharing a close relationship. But I must emphasize that this will not be an Atobe x Ryoma fanfiction in the end.

**Ready-Fight! : It's a Complex Relationship**

Ryoma had received a text earlier from Atobe that the Fight Club had been cancelled that day. The police were snooping around and so, they had to lay low for a while. He grumbled at the text and then deleted it, just like how they were told to every time they received a text. No one was to know about the Fight Club, so all the evidence about it was to be erased. He sighed and placed his cell phone next to him on the floor where he was lying. Fuji had gone out to work early, leaving Ryoma all alone with nothing to do. He puffed a sigh and then got up, picked up his cell phone and slipped it into his pocket. He snooped around the house by opening up closets and drawers. He made his way back into the kitchen and began rummaging through the area. He stopped suddenly when he found an apron that was too womanly for Fuji. It had frills on the hems and laces as decorations. He stared at it for a long period of time before slipping it on out of sheer curiosity. It was a little big on him, but it still fit. Ryoma tugged on it as he went back into the living room. He lay on the floor again and closed his eyes, falling into a light sleep.

He wasn't sure how long he had slept for. But when he heard the door opening, he sat abruptly and rubbed his eyes groggily. He yawned and stretched, almost like a cat.

"Did you have a nice nap?" asked Fuji as he slipped off his coat and hung it up in the closet.

Ryoma ignored his question and leaned against the couch. He heard Fuji's footsteps coming closer to him, but it stopped abruptly. He arched a brow and looked up at a surprised Fuji.

"Echizen…why are you wearing that apron?" he asked with an amused smile.

Ryoma's eyes widened as he remembered he still had the frilly apron on. He quickly took it off and tossed it at Fuji who was already laughing.

"Shut up," he muttered as he stood up and sat on the couch, crossing his arms across his chest, "Why do you even have such thing?"

"Ah, it's not mine," replied Fuji.

"It's your girlfriend's then?"

"Nope, it belongs to my sister. She comes over every now and then to check up on me, so she left this behind to use it whenever she needs to. The last time she came over was when I was sick."

"You're a grown man and you still have your sister take care of you?"

"Sibling love."

"Che…but you don't have your girlfriend take care of you?"

"I don't have one. I'm still single."

Ryoma glanced over to Fuji who sat down besides him with the apron in hand. An awkward silence ensued and he shifted slightly in his seat.

"You're not going out today?" asked Fuji, "To the Fight Club."

"Hm? No, I didn't feel like it," answered Ryoma.

Fuji's question had only confirmed that he knew nothing about the Fight Club schedule. He had no idea why besides the fact that Atobe didn't trust him, but he wasn't going to tell him either. After all, Atobe mentioned that he shouldn't say a thing about the Fight Club to Fuji. Ryoma crossed his legs and leaned back onto the sofa. He noticed Fuji staring at him, making him feel uncomfortable.

Glaring at Fuji to hide it, Ryoma asked, "What?"

"I was just admiring your cute face," he said with a smile.

"I don't want to hear that from you."

"But you wouldn't mind if Atobe said that?"

"What does he have to do with this?"

"Ahh, well, it just seemed like you two are very close."

"…There's nothing between me and Atobe."

"Really? The first time I met you was…let's see. You're sixteen now and you were thirteen when I first met, so three years ago. When I was suddenly called to visit Atobe, I was surprised. That man never called me for anything and yet he suddenly called me asking me to bring a first aid kit along. The next thing I knew was being led into an enormous room and there you were there on his bed, half naked with bruises and cuts. I was quite surprise."

Ryoma bit the inside of his cheeks as he remembered that day. It was a day after Atobe had taken him from the streets…

xxx

He had a nightmare the night before and found himself in Atobe's bed with the man's arm wrapped around him. At first he thought it was weird, but after a while he found it unexpectedly comforting. It was a few hours later when he woke up to Atobe's nudging. His clothes were stripped off and he was naked. He frowned in confusion since he didn't ever remember taking off his clothes. Looking up, he saw Atobe's smirk and a sudden fear overcame him.

"Hmph, don't worry brat, I didn't do anything to you. I'm not interested in little boys," said Atobe as though he could read his mind, "I was just checking your body. Put your clothes back on."

Ryoma caught his clothes that Atobe had tossed at him. He was only able to slip on his briefs and pants before the door open. The blanket hung over him on his shoulders and his hair was a mess. It never registered in his head what the scene might have looked like. He looked over to the door and saw a stranger. He seemed puzzled for a second before regaining composure.

"I had no idea that you swing that way," said the stranger as he turned to Atobe.

"Ack, don't get the wrong idea, Fuji. I'm not interested in little brats. I found the kid on the streets in a brawl and I liked the look in his eyes, so I took him in," replied Atobe nonchalantly.

"Oh? What exactly are you going to use him for?"

"Nothing. I just felt like taking him in. Now take care of his wounds and after you're done, you can leave. I'll be back in a bit. Shower."

"Mm hmm."

Ryoma was a little nervous when Fuji walked over to him and knelt down. He didn't trust that smile he had on his face. He tensed slightly when Fuji began to tend to his wounds.

"It must have been one big brawl," said Fuji gently.

Ryoma looked away and didn't respond. Silence fell between them as Fuji finished tending his wounds. By the time he finished, Atobe was back and ushering Fuji to leave. Ryoma looked up briefly and before Fuji left, he uttered a small thank you, loud enough for Fuji to hear. He saw the small genuine smile that Fuji flashed at him before leaving the room completely. Everything else after that took a complete turn from what would happen. Atobe began to train him in fighting. Before he knew it, he was already involved in the fight club in the two years he had lived with Atobe.

xxx

"Echizen?" called out Fuji as he looked at Ryoma with concern.

Ryoma shook his head and grunted. He had remembered something he didn't really want to remember. He heard Fuji sigh from beside him and then felt him getting up. He looked up and saw Fuji walking towards the kitchen.

"Hungry? I'll cook something," said Fuji.

"…No, I was about to head out anyways," said Ryoma as he got up and began walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"None of your business."

"I see. Be careful then."

Ryoma cursed under his breath as he looked over his shoulder. He disliked this side of Fuji. He was always acting kind towards him even though he kept giving the older man cold shoulders. He reluctantly bowed his head and slipped on his shoes before leaving the house. He looked over his shoulder one more time, just in case if someone was following him. No one was there, so he decided it was safe to head over to Atobe's mansion.

When he had arrived, he was suddenly pulled in by the servants. They ushered him up the stairs in hurry. He tried to stop them, but they tossed him into Atobe's room where Atobe was sitting by the desk. He saw Atobe look up in surprise, but he then he smiled.

"Good timing Echizen," said Atobe as he stood and briskly walked over to him, grabbing him by the shoulders and budging him back out and down the stairs again.

"What the fuck are you doing?' asked Ryoma as he struggled to break free from Atobe's grasp.

"I have two guests coming over and one of them loves young boys. You're the perfect person to use in this situation."

"What situation?"

"Ah, well this situation: you, me, in the hot tub."

He could not believe what had happened in the next few minutes. Two women showed up in Atobe's mansion; a brunette and a blond. The blond was definitely interested in Atobe, but the brunette had her eyes set on him. Ryoma shivered slightly at the way her eyes devoured him. They were taken to the back where a hot tub was already bubbling. Atobe handed him a swim trunk and ordered him to change. Ryoma scowled at him, but in the end, he was forced to change with Kabaji keeping watch. He came back in a few seconds in tight, black swim trunks. Atobe and the two women were already in the hit tub waiting for him. He did not like what was happening, but he gritted his teeth and decided to put up with it. As soon as he slipped into the pool, the brunette was already rushing to his side, wrapping an arm around his. Ryoma hid his disgusted face, by glaring at Atobe, but then he just saw something he didn't want to see. Atobe's mouth was ravaging the blonde's lips and his hand was slipped under her bikini top, squeezing her right breast. At that moment, Ryoma felt the brunette's breast pushing against his arm.

"Hey, why don't we do something too? They look like they're having fun," she said in a slightly high pitch voice.

Ryoma glanced over to the brunette, trying to ignore the blonde's moaning from across him. He gritted his teeth in annoyance, but gave in to his frustration. He knew that Atobe was planning to fuck the blonde in the hot tub while he was watching. Cursing loudly, he pushed the brunette aside and forced his way across, pushing Atobe away from the blonde. He slipped on top of Atobe's lap and glared at him before clashing their lips together. Slipping his tongue inside Atobe's hot mouth, he devoured the older man's mouth, grinding himself against Atobe's already rock, hard erection. It didn't take long before Atobe responded to his heated kiss and rocking motion. He felt Atobe's hand slipped behind his head, grasping his hair and tugging Ryoma closer. Ryoma could feel Atobe's tongue sliding across his, exploring his mouth and sucking on his tongue before pulling away. A smirked was plastered on Atobe's face as Ryoma looked down at him. The two women sat in silence. Ryoma clicked his tongue and looked over his shoulder at the brunette was stared at him in shock.

"You see…I like men," Ryoma said as he got out of the hot tub and dried himself off, "Don't get me wrong though, I'm not interested in this Monkey King. He's too much of an asshole."

"So you say, but that was one hell of a kiss," said Atobe amusingly.

"You're one to talk. I thought you didn't like men," said Ryoma as he grabbed his clothes.

"I never said that. As long as I like them, I'll sleep with them, be it man or woman…but not brats," answered Atobe, "I guess I taught you well though. Kissing me like that suddenly…it just made me recall the nights when you used to sleep in my bed after you had a nightmare and I had to kiss you good night to shut you up."

"I never did that."

"Yes, you did. Remember that night when it raining and there was thunder. You came running into my room and crawled into my bed in tears. You cuddled right next to me and wouldn't stop sobbing. I had kiss you just like what you did with-"

"Shut up!" yelled Ryoma as growled angrily and turned on his heel, ignoring Atobe's laughter.

Just as he left to change, he heard one of the women ask, "What's your relationship with him?"

"Hm? That little brat? Ahh…it's a complex relationship," replied Atobe with an amuse tone.

Ryoma had changed and left Atobe's mansion. Everything had happened so fast that he had forgotten to talk to Atobe about Fuji. He scolded himself for getting caught up in Atobe's pace. Sighing, he made his way back to Fuji's house. By then, it was already late in the afternoon. He rang the doorbell and Fuji quickly opened it, smiling gently in a greeting. However he didn't moved aside to let Ryoma in. He stood by the entrance looking at Fuji as though he was crazy.

"What?" asked Ryoma, aggravated from the incident that happened earlier.

"Aren't you going to say 'I'm home'?" asked Fuji innocently.

"…It's not my home."

"But you stay here like it is."

"But I never said I was going to live here."

"Wouldn't it be nice once in awhile to hear someone say 'welcome back'?"

Fuji smiled and Ryoma knew that he wasn't going to get away with it. He looked to the side, scowling in annoyance. Today wasn't his day.

"I…I'm home," he said with a small blush.

Fuji chuckled and said as he stepped aside, "Welcome back."

The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air. Ryoma's stomach grumbled in response. He clutched his stomach, blushing when he heard Fuji's stifled laughter.

"I thought you cook earlier," said Ryoma was he followed after Fuji into the kitchen.

"I was going to, but then I decided I should wait for you. You were gone a bit too long, so I decided to cook and what do you know, you came back just in time," replied Fuji as he began to set the table and motioned for Ryoma to sit.

He made his way over to the table and sat down at the same time Fuji did. Eating with him was something almost nostalgic. Being amused and light hearted, emotions he had thought he lost long ago because of what had happened to his family. In the end, he had found dinner with Fuji to be fun, though he wouldn't say such a thing to Fuji. After dinner, they sat on the couch watching television. Ryoma had been become so engrossed in the T.V. show that he was caught off guard when Fuji suddenly asked him a question.

"So, where did you go today?" asked Fuji.

"Atobe's," answered Ryoma as he caught himself too late.

He mentally cursed to himself and glanced away from the television. He stretched slightly and leaned back on the couch as he slowly turned his attention to Fuji where he was met with a pair of blue eyes. He was taken aback at seeing the older man's eyes. He never saw them on a daily basis, so seeing them now was a bit shocking. Scooting slightly away from Fuji, Ryoma pulled his knees up and hugged them. He began to feel awkward at the way Fuji was staring at him.

Turning his head to look back at Fuji, he asked, "What? You're always staring at me. Are you really interested in my face so much?"

"I am interested, but more than just your face. Tell me Echizen, what exactly is your relationship with Atobe?" asked Fuji with a slight strain in his voice.

"It's…a complex relationship," replied Ryoma, remembering what Atobe had said earlier to the women.

"So what did you do over there at Atobe's house, actually, his mansion?"

"Nothing. I don't have to answer your stupid questions."

He saw the flash of anger in Fuji's eyes and suddenly was pushed down against the cushions of the couch with the wrists of his hands wrapped in Fuji's hand. He struggled against the older man, but his body was pinned down by Fuji's weight. He let out an exaggerated sigh and glared up at Fuji.

"What the fuck? Are you jealous of Atobe or something?" Ryoma asked, although he was just teasing.

"Actually I am," answered Fuji seriously with a straight face, "I think it's not fair that he has you by his side and yet treats you like some dog. You get into fights and yet he doesn't patch you up. Why are you still with him even though he treats you like crap?"

"He doesn't treat me like crap. Our relationship is…it's complicated! It's thanks to him that I'm here now. I can't just leave him."

"What exactly did you do with him over at his mansion?"

"Fuck Fuji, you really want to know? He had two women over, a blonde and a brunette. He was trying to fuck the blonde and push the brunette onto me, but I don't like women. He made me go into the hot tub with him with the other two annoying women and tried to fuck the blonde in the hot tub while I was watching. So I made out with him to stop him and to get that annoying brunette bitch off my back. There, happy?"

"You made out with Atobe?"

"Yes and it was disgusting. It's not like I'm in _that_kind of relationship with him. We're just…I don't know. It's complicated."

Silence fell over them as the voices from the television echoed throughout the room. Ryoma heard Fuji sigh, but his grip remained tight. The body weight of Fuji shifted slightly, but it remained on top of him. Ryoma noticed that Fuji had somehow closed the gap between their bodies and they were touching. Surprised by how their bodies had molded perfectly with each other, his agitation slowly disappeared. His eyes widened slightly when Fuji abruptly leaned his head down and placed it on his shoulder. The position was weird, but Ryoma didn't find it uncomforting. It also reminded him of their kiss from before when Ryoma had come back from the fight club and was all drugged up. Back then, Fuji had him in the same position. Ryoma slightly grew hot when he remembered the kiss and a slight red flush covered his face. He tried to turn his head away, but he saw that Fuji had turned his head in his direction just in time to see the faint blush. He knew that Fuji was smirking because he had pressed his body closer, almost grinding himself against him. Ryoma bit back a groan and flashed Fuji a warning look.

"Don't even fuck with me," said Ryoma in a low tone.

"But you made out with Atobe. I'm jealous Echizen. I want you to be mine. I hate seeing you with others," mumbled Fuji was he placed his lips over Ryoma's, "I want to steal you away from Atobe and lock you up in my house, so that no one can ever see you."

Ryoma felt Fuji lifting his weight and then the soft tracing and gliding of Fuji's free fingers over his chest and down to his abdomen. It stopped right at the button of his pants, tugging at it gently.

"Stop joking," muttered Ryoma as he tried to control himself.

"How many hints must I give you before you realize how interested I am in you?" asked Fuji, slightly annoyed at Ryoma's denseness.

"Interested in my body like everyone else?"

"No, more than just that Echizen. I want all of you - your body, heart, and soul. I want everything because I'm selfish."

Ryoma bit his lower lips. He didn't want to hear such words from Fuji. He didn't want to believe them because trusting was always hard when he was betrayed so many times. He shook his head vigorously and turned his head so that Fuji couldn't kiss him. His body yearned for the older man, but his logic told him to stay away.

"No, I won't believe you," he said childishly, "I can't believe you."

"What's there to fear Echizen?" asked Fuji.

"I'm not afraid!"

"But you don't want to trust me because you're afraid of something aren't you? You're afraid that I will betray you."

This was another aspect he hated about Fuji. The man always seemed to see through him. He was like an open window to Fuji. Ryoma squirmed when Fuji rocked his hips and he let out a small gasp. He heard Fuji chuckle and he gritted his teeth for being unable to do anything in the situation.

"I hate you," muttered Ryoma as he tried to suppress a moan.

"You sure?" asked Fuji amusingly as he began to rock his hip in a rotating movement.

"Pedophile."

His word had stopped Fuji for a second, but it was only for a second. Fuji resumed his rotating motion, grunting slightly. Ryoma could feel the bulge in Fuji's pants and he too began to respond to it. However, he was determined to fight it, to deny his body of what he really wanted. He gritted his teeth together as Fuji fastened his pace, grinding their needy erection together. The sound of fabric brushing against one another drowned out the voices from the television. Ryoma lost control of his determination and a moan escaped from his lips. His hands had become free somewhere in the middle of their grinding and he used them to wrap around Fuji's neck, forgetting the fact that he had wanted to push the older man away. Delicate fingers ran down his sides and a cool wave of air touched his skin as his shirt was suddenly pushed up. Hot lips covered his skin with kisses. A wet tongue traced lines and circles everywhere, but eventually began to focus on his nipples. Ryoma could hear his own voice echoing in his ear as he fell into the pleasure of Fuji's caress. He was already reaching his limit when Fuji's hand glided down to the button of his pants and unbuttoned it.

Their crazed lust was suddenly interrupted when Fuji's home phone rang. At the sound of the first ring, Fuji quickly jumped off of Ryoma. Ryoma was staring up into Fuji's eyes, dazed with pleasure. He felt something wet in his pants and sighed slightly in content. He had ejaculated right when the phone had rung. He closed his eyes and heard Fuji walk away to answer the phone, clearing his throat before answering in a low whisper. His voice suddenly became distant as he disappeared into the kitchen. Ryoma opened his eyes and tried to catch his breath. He stared up at the white ceiling and sat up groggily. He grimaced at the feel of his own seeds.

When Fuji came back into the living room, Ryoma glanced over at him and said, "You know, we have a complex relationship too. I still don't like you."

Fuji stared at him and then laughed, "Ahh, I guess I still have a lot to work on before I can make you entirely mine."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-Fight! : Trust or Loyalty**

He was here again, lying on the same bed he had for nights with the now familiar aroma wrapping around him. He turned to lie on his side and inhaled the scent. He slowly exhaled it, wondering when he gotten use to it. He turned again onto his back and stared up at the ceiling once more. His thoughts went back to what had happened earlier in the living room with Fuji. A red flush colored his face as he remembered the way Fuji grinded himself against him. Biting his lower lips, Ryoma traced his hand down his chest to his abdomen, just like how Fuji did. He gave a shaky sigh and swallowed slowly as he moved his hands lower. Somewhere behind that locked door, Fuji was there, probably sleeping on the couch like usual now. It slightly excited him to know that the man he was currently fantasizing about was only behind that thin door. His hands twitched slightly when it hovered over his visible bulge on his pajama pants. He touched it softly at first and then began to rub harder against it. His breath became faster as he remembered Fuji's touches and licking. Slipping his hand under the pajama pants, he grasped his erection that was wet with precum and pumped faster. Using his other hand, he slipped it under his pants and fondled his testicles. He bit back a moan and arched his back as he felt himself ejaculate. His breathing slowed and he relaxed his body. He was suddenly tired, but he still needed to clean his hands. He reached for the box of tissue on the end table and pulled some tissue out to wipe his hands. As he got up to toss the tissue away, he dawned on him about what he just did. The tissue slipped from his hand and fell into the small trash can as he stood frozen before it. He had masturbated using Fuji and he even enjoyed it.

"Ah…no. There's no way I…that I actually like the guy! It was just because I was aroused from earlier. It's his fault for doing that," he muttered to himself as he tried to reason out why he did what he did.

Cursing under his breath, he puffed a sigh and walked back to the bed. He wasn't going to think about it because he was sure that there was no way he had any feelings towards the older man. It was just his way of releasing…even though he had done that earlier already too. Shaking his head, he pulled the blankets over his head and curled into a ball, falling fast asleep.

There was a few knockings on the door which stirred him awake. Ryoma groaned and sat up in the bed, rubbing his eyes. He yawned and got out of bed, walking towards the door. Opening it, he took a step back and stared at a smiling Fuji. He arched a brow at the guy, but it didn't do much.

"Good afternoon," greeted Fuji, "You must have slept well."

Frowning in confusion, Ryoma looked over his shoulder and glanced at the clock. It read twelve o' nine pm. His eyes widened as he realized he slept half the day away. He looked back to Fuji, but was taken aback when Fuji held his hand out towards him. Ryoma looked down at the open hand. In the middle of Fuji's palm was a small, golden key. He stared at it, then looked up at Fuji, and then back to the key.

"What's this?" he asked.

"The key I promised you," answered Fuji cheerily, "Now you can enter my house without having to wait for me."

Ryoma stared at it for a while and then shook his head. If he took the key, it was like he was admitting that Fuji's place was a place he could trust coming back to. He was about to turn away, but Fuji's hand reached out and grasped his arm. Looking over his shoulder, he glared at the older man.

"Just take it," said Fuji, "You don't even have to use it."

Ryoma felt something cold being forced into his hand and looked down. Fuji had given him the key even though he had said no. Before he could say another word, Fuji turned around and waved.

"I have to go or I'll be late. I was only on my lunch break," he said, "See you later."

He gave Ryoma that usual smile and left through the front door. Sighing, Ryoma opened his hands and stared at the key. He wasn't sure what to do with it, but he decided to keep it. Stretching his arms, he walked over to the end table besides the bed and picked up his cell phone. He was surprise to find a voice-mail on there. Flipping it open, he pressed the phone to his ear to listen to the voice-mail.

"If you are still sleeping at this time of the day, you are one lazy brat," said Atobe's voice, "Anyways, I need to speak with you, so once you get this message, get over here. It's urgent."

Ryoma closed phone and stared at it. He wasn't sure what Atobe wanted, but it sounded important, so he quickly got ready. Once he was done brushing his teeth, with a toothbrush that Fuji had also bought him, and putting on some new clothes, that were also bought by Fuji and he didn't know why the older man even knew his size, he slipped on his shoes, closed the front door, and locked it using the key he had just recently received. He was a few feet away from the house already when he realized that the key came in handy. Shaking his head though, he made a mental note to not use the key constantly, that way he won't become dependent on it. Slipping the key back into his pocket, he walked to Atobe's house. He was barely at the gate when he noticed Atobe in front of the gate. Arching a brow, Ryoma walked closer to Atobe and found him on his cell phone. He looked serious and really pissed off.

"What's up?" asked Ryoma, getting Atobe's attention.

He heard Atobe scowl as he flipped his cell close and turn to face him. Ryoma stared at him as Atobe remained silent. His foot was tapping against the floor with his arms crossed across his chest.

"Well?" asked Ryoma, trying to urge Atobe to say something.

"Come inside first," said Atobe, "No one…followed you, right?"

"…Not that I know of," answered Ryoma as he followed after Atobe.

"Good."

Atobe led him back inside and into his room where he shooed the butlers away. Only Kabaji was in the room with them. Ryoma was a bit wary of Kabaji in the room. Usually if he was, it meant something was seriously wrong with the Fight Club. Frowning as he sat down on the chair next to Atobe, he glanced over to the older man, arching a questioning brow at him.

"There's a traitor in the club who's been leaking information to the cops," growled out Atobe as he tightened his hand around his cell phone.

"What?" asked Ryoma in disbelief.

Atobe had never let something like this happened before, so it was shocking for Ryoma. He watched as Atobe gritted his teeth together and then sent his phone flying across the room. It slammed against the wall and broke in half. Ryoma glanced over at it and then back to Atobe who was now standing up to get a glass of wine.

"So are the cops on your case now?" asked Ryoma.

"No," replied Atobe, "At least not yet."

"You realize that your club is also dealing with illegal drugs."

"Of course I know. It's my club."

"Just saying…you might want to think about stopping the drug trafficking."

"I can't. It's my money maker."

Ryoma rolled his eyes and then shrugged. Silence fell over them as Atobe paced his room, sipping his drink every now and then. Ryoma's eyes would follow Atobe from time to time, but eventually he got tired of watching Atobe. It was the first time that he ever saw Atobe stressed before his eyes. Standing up, he decided to take matters into his own hands. If things went on the way it is, fight club was going to go down and the life he had lived up to now would be destroyed. He couldn't afford that and as much as he hate and despise Atobe, he also wanted to protect him. Atobe gave him a reason to live, even if it wasn't the best of the reasons.

As he walked towards the door, he was stopped by Atobe's words, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check if anyone knows who the rat is. If not, at least if there is anyone suspicious roaming the areas around where the fight club were held," answered Ryoma, "I can't let the fight club go like this and I know you won't either. I'll leave the rest of the planning to you."

He opened the door and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft thud. He leaned against the door and sighed. The first thing he had to do was check out the hangout spots for the members. He needed to find out if there was anyone suspicious. Taking in a breath and exhaling, Ryoma left Atobe's mansion and went towards the abandon building he had once gone to and freed that one girl. He actually disliked going there because that was where the members kept the girls and used them like prostitute. Behind Atobe's back, the members were making money through the usage of sex trafficking. The problem wasn't just drug trafficking anymore. Now they had to deal with sex trafficking which was being done behind Atobe's back. Well, not exactly. Ryoma knew that Atobe knew about it too, but he wasn't doing anything because it was bringing in profit. Sighing, he stopped in front of the building and stared at it. Voices echoed out from the building and he wondered briefly if this was even a hide out anymore. Shaking his head, he briskly walked inside the building and was faced with an orgy of at least fifteen people. His hands quickly flew to cover his mouth, pressing against it to prevent himself from puking. He took one step back and turned his head sideways. His hands slipped from his mouth and clasped his stomach as he vomited. This wasn't a sight he wanted to see. He was still heaving, although nothing was coming out now, when he felt a hand on his back. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he stumbled away to a corner where he couldn't see such a disgusting sight and leaned against the wall for support. He opened one eye and saw Sengoku with a side way smile.

"That wasn't a pretty sight to see huh?" asked Sengoku amusingly.

"No," agreed Ryoma, "Why the fuck are they doing that?"

"They're not members. You probably didn't get to take a close look at the face because it was shocking, but most of them aren't members. They're customers and they wanted to have an orgy with the girls we brought in."

Sengoku shrugged and sat besides Ryoma. He scowled, disgusted with their antics. Looking away, he tried to block out the moans, but it wasn't helpful. Sighing, he dropped his head and closed his eyes. He could Sengoku whistling in the background and chose to focus everything on that instead. It helped a little, at least enough to ease the churning in his stomach.

"So, why are you here then?" asked Ryoma.

"I don't like orgies," replied Sengoku bluntly, "I'm selfish. I like to keep someone all to myself."

He grinned like an idiotic, causing Ryoma to roll his eyes. It was pointless to try and find someone suspicious now. He stood up and exhaled slowly. His stomach was still a little queasy, but it was a lot better now.

He glanced down at Sengoku who had resumed his whistling and asked, "They don't know about the fight club, do they?"

"Hm? No…besides, if we said anything about fight club, it'll be the death penalty for us. Why would we risk that?" asked Sengoku as he scrunched his nose in puzzlement.

"Have you seen anyone suspicious around?"

"Suspicious? Nope…the only people I see are the members and customers, who, like I said, don't know about the fight club."

"Okay. I'm going then."

"Already? Why did you come here then?"

"I was hoping to investigate something, but…I don't want to be around, **that**."

Before Sengoku could ask his next question, Ryoma walked away from the building. He wanted to get away as fast as possible and as far as possible. He was back on the busy streets in a few minutes and sighed in relief. He wasn't going to go back there for a while. Drifting through the crowd, he fell deep into his thoughts. He didn't know what to do next and found himself sitting in a swing in a park. Children were laughing and screaming from a distance, but he paid no attention to it. His hands grasped the cold chains and slowly he pushed himself back and then picked up his feet from the ground. The swing creaked as it swung forward. Ryoma swung his feet back with the motion of the swing and then forward. Slowly his pace started to pick up, faster and higher the swing went until it could go no higher. Ryoma tilted his head back until all he could see was the blue sky. As he swung back, it would go farther away and he swung forward, it would become closer. How he wished he could soar into the sky and forget everything, free like the wind. He closed his eyes, allowing his legs to rest. He felt the cold rush of the wind against his face, but as his pace slowed, so did the wind. Finally, he stopped swinging and the voices of reality hit him once more. Suddenly, he felt a familiar presence standing in front of him. His eyes quickly fluttered opened and he stared at an unfamiliar face. He blinked, confused why a man was staring at him. A few seconds later and Ryoma realized that the man staring at him was a cop. He stiffened slightly at the sight of the policeman, but the policeman didn't so anything except smile at him.

"You seemed to be at peace while swinging," he said gently, "Sorry, did I startle you?"

"A little," answered Ryoma hesitantly.

"Ah, don't worry. I'm not some strange policeman. It's just…it seemed like you were lost and-"

"Oishiiii!" called out a voice from behind the policeman.

The policeman looked back and then back to Ryoma, "Ah, my partner is looking for me. Sorry."

He bowed his head at Ryoma as an apology and then took off in a run in the opposite direction. Ryoma stared after him as he met up with his red head partner. He was sure he felt a similar aura somewhere before, but he just couldn't pinpoint it. Shaking his head in frustration, he got off the swing and decided to head back to Fuji's place.

As he got back to the house, he saw a large truck drive away. Arching a brow, he searched his pocket and took out the gold key. It slid into the keyhole easily and unlocked it as he turned it. Opening the door, he took out the key and slipped it back into his pocket, but he barely made it through the front as he stopped abruptly and stared at a large, white grand piano that was placed next to the window in the living room.

"Oh, you're back," said Fuji as he stepped out from the kitchen.

"What is that?" asked Ryoma.

"…A piano."

"I know what it is…why is it here?"

Fuji chuckled and started walking towards the piano. Ryoma's gaze followed him while he closed the door and locked it. He followed after the older man and plopped himself down in the sofa while Fuji seated himself on the piano bench. He watched Fuji's slender fingers drift of the keys gently. Using his index finger, Fuji pressed a key and a low pitch sound emitted from the piano. Ryoma's eyes widen as he stood and slowly walked over to the piano. He stared curiously at it. He had never seen a real grand piano before, only keyboards. They were really different. He could hear Fuji chuckling and blushed from embarrassment.

Fuji pressed another key, "This piano use to belong to my grandmother. When I was young, I use to live out in the country side. During the summer, my grandmother would open the sliding doors and play the piano. My older sister, my younger brother, and I would scurry over to where she was and sit down to listen to her play. On those days, the summer breeze would blow through our house; the fresh scent of sunflowers would fill the air. The wind chimes would chime softly with my grandmother's piano melody…this piano really brings back memories."

It almost felt as if Ryoma could feel the summer breeze against his skin with the fresh scent of the sunflowers. Closing his eyes, he imagined the house with three young children and a grandmother. Flowers and trees surrounded the house as a soft melody was being played. He opened his eyes again and suddenly, he was staring into a pair of blue, mystical eyes. Ryoma took a breath, getting lost in the eyes.

"Would you…like to try playing it?" asked Fuji, breaking him from his trance.

Ryoma gulped and shook his head, "I don't know how to play a piano."

"I can teach you. My grandmother taught it to me before."

Ryoma took a step back as Fuji got off the bench and patted the seat for him. He stared at the seat for a while before admitting defeat and sat down. Fuji stood behind him and began directing him. He was doing things horribly that Fuji had to move in closer and take him by the hand to guide his fingers. Everything that Fuji was saying wasn't going to his head though, even though he was guiding him. Ryoma was too focused on Fuji's body heat against his back and his warm breath that would tickle his ear every time he spoke. He shuddered slightly and stopped moving his fingers.

"What's wrong?" asked Fuji.

"Can you…not stand behind me like that?" asked Ryoma, "It's a bit distracting."

He could feel the smile that Fuji had on his face even without looking. He heard Fuji chuckling again as he moved and sat besides him. He didn't dare look at the older man because he knew that Fuji would have that knowing smile on his face as though he could see right through him. It always made him angry. Clucking his tongue, Ryoma refocused on the piano and the fingers that were guiding him. Their practice went on for hours until Ryoma's cell phone started ringing. He excused himself and slipped away from the piano. As he reached for his phone, he realized his fingers were hurting. He winced slightly as he stretched them. He never knew that playing the piano could be so much work, especially with someone like Fuji next to him. Sighing, he took out his phone and flipped it open without checking the caller id.

"Fight club tonight," said Atobe's voice, "Don't be late because you're the star of the show."

"What? But don't we have to find-" Ryoma was interrupted by Atobe's chuckle.

Arching a brow, he glanced over his shoulder to check on Fuji. He was still by the piano, so Ryoma walked towards the bedroom where he could talk to Atobe in private. He thought that maybe Atobe had gone mad after stressing. With the rat still in the fight club, he didn't understand why Atobe was still planning to have a fight club.

"I have a plan," said Atobe.

"And what is this plan?" asked Ryoma as he leaned against the wall and hushing his voice.

"I'll explain it when you come over. Tonight at eight."

The phone clicked, leaving Ryoma with just a beeping sound. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it in disbelief. He had no idea what Atobe was up to, but if he had a plan, it must work. He flipped his phone closed and looked at the time on his cell phone's front screen. It read 7:30 pm. He had thirty minutes to get to the fight club. He went back into the living room and found Fuji sitting on the sofa.

"Atobe?" asked Fuji, looking over his shoulder at him.

"No. It was a friend who needs me to check something for him. I'm heading out," answered Ryoma with a small shrug.

"Fight club?"

"Nope."

"Sengoku then?"

Ryoma stopped midair as he reached for the doorknob and turned around. He faced Fuji who was now standing a few feet away. His face didn't reveal any emotion, but Ryoma had a feeling that Fuji was jealous. Smirking, he slid his hands into his pockets and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't know. Maybe," he said, "Don't pry into my business."

Rolling his eyes, he turned back around and opened the door. He took one last glance over his shoulder and saw a pair of blue eyes staring right back at him. He shivered at the sight of them, momentarily stopping in his tracks. It felt as if those eyes saw the truth in everything. Shaking off the feeling, Ryoma closed the door behind him and walked out into the streets. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Fuji's silhouette by the window. He was walking around and it seemed he had a phone in his hand. Blinking, Ryoma stopped for a second to watch the silhouette. He seemed to have walk back to the piano and then turned around again, walking towards the kitchen where his silhouette disappeared. Looking away, he continued walking down the street.

When he finally reached the fight club and was in plain sight for Atobe to see, he was dragged off by Kabaji. He struggled a little, but relaxed when he realized that Atobe was walking besides him. They entered into Atobe's private and he sat down. His eyes wandered over to Kabaji and then back to Atobe.

"Why did you make him do that?" asked Ryoma, growling slightly.

"Sorry, you were a bit slow," replied Atobe.

"So, what's your plan?"

"Like I said, we're going to have a celebration. I'll give them something to drink with a little…truth serum."

"…I didn't finish school, but I at least know that truth serum doesn't work."

"Of course I know that…that's why I have them."

Atobe nodded to the door and Ryoma followed the direction. He looked over his shoulder as the door opened and a group of women walked through the door. They greeted Atobe with a smile and then scurried back out. Ryoma turned his attention back to Atobe, frowning in confusion.

"I thought you didn't want fight club to be found out," hissed Ryoma.

"I don't. They're members of the fight club," said Atobe casually.

"…"

"You didn't honestly think that this was the only place I opened the fight club to. I have fight clubs everywhere in this country."

He saw Atobe smile slowly and immediately he knew what Atobr was planning. Truth serum worked as a sedative which meant it'll relax the body, though the person would still have self control over their thoughts. If they decided to lie, they could lie, but with the help of the women and using the sedative, the rat who had dare to betray them would easily let his guard down and the one of the woman could get the information out by seducing him. Ryoma scoffed at the idea, but if it worked, he would be shocked. If Atobe was going with the plan, then he had no other choice, but to play along.

The fight club gathered in their usual circle with Atobe making his announcement. Tonight, only Ryoma was fighting because it was a big event. Ryoma was going to represent the fight club and fight against a newly joined member who used to be a professional boxer. After the introductions were over, Ryoma stepped into the circle with his opponent following suit. He stared at the taller man, noticing his blond hair and blue eyes and his muscular body. He seemed overly confident, especially since Ryoma was small. He didn't like the look in the man's eyes or the fact that the man had licked his lips while staring at him from head to toe. It was disgusting enough when he saw that orgy, but seeing the man stare at him perversely was even worst. Atobe signaled for the fight and the man was the first to move in. Ryoma dodged his jabs easily, walking around in circle and keeping an eye on him.

"You have a cute butt," said the man in his deep voice, "I would love to pound my huge cock into that cute butt of yours."

Ryoma gagged at his words and wondered if this was how he treated all his opponents in the ring. He really needed to smack some sense into the man. When the man threw another punch, Ryoma dodged it and then reached out with one hand to grasp at the sleeves, pulling the man forward. He took a side step in and swung his fist, hitting him on the temple. The man tumbled a little, but didn't fall over. While he was still trying to regain his composure, Ryoma lifted his feet and high kicked him on the same spot where he had punched the man. He fell to his knees which Ryoma took to his advantage. He kicked the man again in the face, toppling him over onto his back. Ryoma continuously kicked the man's face until blood seemed from his nose and mouth. He was about to kick again when he suddenly felt a large hand on his other leg that was supporting him. Before he could remove the hand, he felt his leg being lifted and he fell onto the floor with a loud thump. He could the pain shooting through is back as he groaned. He turned to his side and tried to get up, but strong arms grabbed one of hand and pinned it behind him. He let a short painful scream as he felt his arm being twisted behind his back. His was now lying on his stomach with his right arm pinned behind his back and the man on top of him. He winced in pain as he felt the man put his whole weight on top of him with his head right next to his shoulder. He could feel the man's hot breath against his ear and cheek. Aside from all the yelling and screaming from the surrounding members, he heard the sound of something unzipping. His eyes widened in shock when it dawned on him that the man on top of him was practically grinding his erect penis against his butt. Ryoma struggled to free himself, in fear of being violated in front of all these men. If he did get raped before their very eyes, they wouldn't anything. They might even joint he man. Gritting his teeth, Ryoma looked around to see if there was anything he could use. His sight zoned in on a rock that looked like an arrowhead. He reached with his free hand and tried to grasp him. He couldn't reach it and time was slowly running out for him. The man was practically dry humping him, thrusting his large body against Ryoma and pushing him against the floor, making it even harder for him to reach the rock. He could hear the man's grunting and groaning become louder with each passing moment. The surrounding voices started to become silent as they started to become aware of the situation that Ryoma was in. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his zipper and desperation kicked in. Ryoma reached for the rock with all his strength and just before the man could unzip his pants, Ryoma turned with all his strength and stabbed the pointed edge of the rock into the man's eye. A loud scream of agony echoed through the now silent room as blood dripped everywhere. Ryoma could feel the warm trickle of blood run down his hand and droplets of blood soaking into his shirt. As he pulled the rock out, the weight of the man lifted and Ryoma got up quickly to catch his breath. He glared at the man who was still on the floor and screaming. He kicked the hand the man was using to stop the blood away and stepped on it until he heard the crushing sound of the man's bone beneath his feet. He let out another painful scream, shocking everyone in the club. Suddenly seeing his exposed neck tempted Ryoma to stab the rock into it. His hands twitched slightly at the thought and before he could think it over, his body moved on its own accord.

His hand was striking down and a mere few inches away, but was abruptly stopped by Atobe's voice, "That's enough Echizen!"

Silence filled the room as Ryoma dropped the rock and stepped away from the man who was still wriggling in pain. He was breathing heavily, tired from what just happened. His hand that had held the rock was covered in blood and one side of his shirt was soaked in blood. He slowly looked up and his gaze locked with Atobe's. They stared at each for a long time before Atobe made his announcement.

"We know who the winner is. The last one standing is the winner," announced Atobe, "Our undefeated champion has won again…in the most gruesome way."

Ryoma let out a small breath and turned to the side. As he walked closer to the crowd, a small path was opened for him. He walked through the path and exited the shack. The fresh air calmed his nerves significantly. He walked a few steps away from the club and entered an alleyway. Leaning against the wall, he let out a shaky breath and then started taking in gulps of fresh air. He was still trying to calm his nerves when he heard someone talking from his right. He turned his head slightly in the direction of where he heard the voice and saw a light. It was coming from a cell phone that someone was speaking into.

"I think Atobe knows about the information leak. We should get out of here before it's too late," said the voice, "If we get out of this town, Atobe won't be able to find us. And then we'll get the cops to bust in on Atobe and his fight club! Hurry and get over here to pick me up."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had found the man that was leaking information to the cops and not only that, but it wasn't just one person, but a group. Ryoma bit his lower lips and pushed himself off the wall. Quietly, he walked closer to he man. His conversation ended and Ryoma heard the beep of the cell phone. Ryoma swiftly tried to knock the man over, but he had turned and saw Ryoma in time to dodge. It was dark, so Ryoma couldn't see the man's face, but he was planning to drag the man back to the club if he had to. They got into a fight, but with the darkness it was hard. Ryoma landed a few punches, but they were strong. His right arm was still in pain from being twisted, so he had to rely on his left arm and having only one strong punch didn't help the situation. From the corner of his eyes, he saw something glimmer in the darkness. He felt a cold, sharp edge slice against his arm and a sharp pain traveled across his arm. He held back a scream and stepped back. The light of the moon glowered over them as they stepped away from the darkness of the alley way. Ryoma looked at the object the man held and then at his arm. He had been cut by the knife the man was holding. Curing under his breath, he reached into the pile of trash on the side of the wall and grabbed for anything. Taking out the object he had his hands on, he looked at it and scowled. He had at least hoped for a fork, but it turned out to be a spoon. He could clearly see the man smile amusingly. Ryoma sighed, but he could still do something with a spoon. The man stepped forward, swung his hand and slashed at Ryoma's chest, but Ryoma dodged. He took a side step and stabbed the spoon with a hard swing into the man's side. The man winced and Ryoma took another stab at the other man's side. With every stab to his pressure points, the man took a step back until Ryoma finally stab at his neck. He coughed and fell to his knees, dropping his knife. Using that moment, Ryoma kicked him in the head and knocked him out. He was about to pick up the knife when he felt a sudden blow to his neck. Ryoma fell onto his knees and tried to regain his composure, but there was another blow to his stomach, taking the air out of his breath. He coughed and fell onto his back. Blinking his eyes, he stared up at a small group of men. There were more of them running from the direction of the club. He tried to get up, but he was kicked to the floor again. Ryoma groaned quietly and rolled over onto his stomach. He spotted the knife and grabbed it. One of the men bent down to try and pin him while the others were focused on the others who were heading over to them. Ryoma sat up quickly and stabbed the man who tried to pin him down on the shoulder. He screamed, catching the attention of the others, but it gave Ryoma enough time to get up and run. He turned a few corners, trying to lose them, but they were quick on his trail. He jumped over a fence, wincing in pain when he used his injured arm. He slid into another alleyway and took out his cell phone. He speed dialed Atobe, mumbling under his breath for Atobe to hurry and pick up his phone. After the third ring, he finally picked up.

"I found out who was leaking the information. It's not just one person, it's a group of them," Ryoma quickly said into the phone.

"Where?" asked Atobe urgently.

"They're just a few blocks away from the club; there's a group of them, it's not har-"

A gunshot rang in the air and the phone slipped from his hand. A sudden pain spread from his shoulder and to his body. He had been shot in the right shoulder. Biting back a scream, Ryoma pressed his hand against the bullet wound and started running again, leaving behind his phone. He wasn't sure how long he ran, but eventually the footsteps that were following him disappeared. He looked over his shoulder, but no one was following him. He slowed his pace, but he was breathing heavily. He had lost a lot of blood already, some from his knife wound and the other from his bullet wound. Atobe's house was too far and it was in the other direction, so his only option was Fuji's place. He slowly walked back to Fuji's house, but the lights were off. His hands trembled to take out the key and unlock the door, but as he tried to unlock it, the key slipped from his hands that were covered in blood. He cursed to himself and knelt down to find the key, but it was taking too long. He was losing blood quicker with all his movements. Finally, after fifteen minutes of searching, he found the key near the rug. He grabbed it and unlocked the door. As soon as he entered the house, he flicked on the lights and tossed the key aside, hearing it plop to the floor. Blood was now dripping from his arm, leaving behind a trail of blood on the wood floor. Gritting his teeth, he went towards the bathroom where the first aid was located. By the time he reached the bathroom, he was already exhausted. He felt himself fall over and hit the ground with a loud thump. Reaching his hand out, he tried to grab onto the sink counter, but he had already used too much energy. His hand fell to the floor with exhaustion and everything started to turn black.

He could hear someone calling out his name urgently. He groaned slightly, still aware of the pain coursing through his right arm. His eyes fluttered open slowly, but his sight was blurry. He tried to focus on the image of the person hovering over him. It took a few minutes, but he finally saw Fuji's face clearly. It was the first time he ever saw Fuji look stressed too, but it wasn't just stress. His expression was mixed with fear, worry, and concern.

"Shit, I should call the ambulance," muttered Fuji as he took out his cell phone.

"No!" yelled Ryoma, grabbing Fuji by the arm with his uninjured arm, "No…hospital."

"You're bleeding everywhere! You've lost too much blood. I need to get you to the hospital!"

"No…they…ask too much…questions. No hospital."

Ryoma shook his head slowly and tried to speak again to stop Fuji from calling, but he was finding it harder and harder to breathe. He heard Fuji sigh in defeat, but was unable to thank him.

"Shit, I'll have to remove the bullet myself then," mumbled Fuji as he got up to get the first aid kit, a knife, a lighter, a candle, and alcohol, "It's going to hurt."

He heard objects being dropped to the floor and the sound of a lighter clicking. He tried to turn his head to look, but found it painful to even move. Suddenly, he felt a something dig into his flesh on shoulder where he had gotten shot. He screamed in pain and tried to twist away, but Fuji had him firmly pinned. A few minutes later and he heard something small, like a metal drop against the floor. He heard it roll away, but he couldn't tell what it was. He was panting from the pain, hoping that it was over, but it was wasn't. In the next few minutes, he felt cold liquid against his bullet wound. It stung to the point where he thought he was going to die from it instead of the bullet wound. Then he felt the hot metal press against his wound and stench of burning flesh filled the bathroom. When everything was finally over and Fuji was bandaging his wounds, Ryoma relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. He felt Fuji's cold hand press against his forehead and he mumbled something incoherent, but couldn't make it out.

"Don't you dare die on me," whispered Fuji.

Ryoma couldn't quite understand and he tried to open his eyes to ask, but exhaustion was taking over his body. Soon, he fell unconscious, succumbing to the darkness.

He blinked open his eyes and stared up at the white ceiling. It was bright and the room was warm. He tried to sit up, but winced in pain. He looked at his injured right arm and stared at the bandages around his shoulder and his arm. He hadn't realized his wounds were so horrible. Sighing, tried to get out of bed, but before his feet could even touch the floor, Fuji was already walking through the door and fussing over him. Ryoma was taken aback by Fuji's behavior and did as he was told, slipping back into the bed and lying down.

"You still need to rest," said Fuji as he placed a small bucket of cold water on the end table and soaked the cloth, "You just got over a fever. I hope you didn't mind, but I had a doctor come over here to check you wounds."

"I said no hospitals. That meant no doctors too," said Ryoma, scowling at Fuji.

"Don't worry, he won't say anything. I promise you he won't tell anyone."

Grunting in response, Ryoma turned his head so that he was staring at the ceiling again. A shadow fell over him when Fuji leaned over him to put the wet towel on his forehead. He blushed at the antic, but didn't dare to thank Fuji.

"I was so afraid…" muttered Fuji as he sat back down in his seat, "that you would…disappear in front of me."

"I won't die that easily," muttered Ryoma, "Besides, even if I did die, it's not like anyone will come to my funeral."

His words angered Fuji and he could tell because Fuji frowned at him. He merely glanced away, but it didn't stop him from feeling Fuji's stare. He honestly didn't think he was going to make it, but it was thanks to Fuji's fast acting that he was alive. He should be thanking him instead of making him angry.

"Sorry," mumbled Ryoma, "Thanks for…treating the wounds."

"Thank god you're okay," whispered Fuji.

Ryoma froze when he felt Fuji leane over him again, but this time he felt Fuji's soft lips against his. He stared blankly at Fuji's closed eyes, unsure of what to do. It was the gentlest kiss he ever received from Fuji. When Fuji pulled away, Ryoma let out a breath, not even realizing that he was holding his breath. He heard some rustling of papers and turned to look at Fuji. He had some newspaper in his hand and he was showing it to Ryoma. Ryoma arched a brow and sat up with the help of Fuji. He took the newspaper from him and read the headline, _Fifteen Men Commit Suicide in One Night_. His eyes widen as he quickly scanned the paper and read quickly through it. His mouth gaped slightly when he finished reading it. The fifteen men that were dead were members of the fight club. Next to the article was a picture of the fifteen men and he shocked to see two faces he knew. One of them was Sengoku and the other was Mizuki.

"The police force are currently looking into the matter and checking if these suicides are related at all," said Fuji, "So far, nothing…this has something to do with the fight club doesn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Ryoma as he set the paper down on his laps.

"Your wounds…these men's deaths…what's going on with the fight club?"

"Nothing. Besides, I don't even know who these guys are."

"Then how did you get your wounds? Yesterday you said you were going to check up on a friend. Who was this friend? Did he or she do that to you?"

"No…"

"Echizen, please trust me. What happened to the fight club?"

"…I don't know what you're talking about…aren't you an older member of the club? Shouldn't you know if something happened?"

Fuji stared at him and then sighed in defeat. Ryoma glanced away and back down to the paper. He heard Fuji get up and leave the room. He looked at the doorway and then back at the paper. He never suspected Seengoku to be one of the traitors. Most of the men listed in the papers were the ones who were dealing with the sex trafficking and that would probably be the only relationship the cops will find since he knew that Atobe would make sure of that. He glanced back to the door, but Fuji didn't return. He sighed and flopped back onto the bed. He was confused and in pain. He wasn't sure if he could trust Fuji and as much as he wanted to, he didn't want to as the same time. His loyalty to Atobe was a priority, so if Atobe didn't trust Fuji, then he couldn't either. He bit his lower lips and twisted the bed sheets into his fist. He had to choose between the two when Fuji had asked him to trust him and he had chosen loyalty.

Author's Note: The scene where Fuji takes out the bullet wound out of Ryoma's shoulder is only for dramatic effect. In real life, it's actually best if you don't remove the bullet as it can sometimes stop the bleeding. Also, if you do not have sterilized equipment and try to remove the bullet it can sometimes cause infections and you can die. If you happen to be in a situation where you are shot, please do not attempt to remove the bullet, but go straight to the hospital!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-Fight! : Fuji's House **

"I know I shouldn't push you, but…you really did contradict yourself," said Fuji as Ryoma came out into the living room.

Arching a brow, Ryoma passed by the couch and looked over to the newspaper from earlier. A red mark was circled around Sengoku's face and he cursed mentally to himself. He had forgotten that Fuji knew about Sengoku. It was his mistake that he had mentioned he didn't know any of them. He glanced away from the paper and prepared himself for more questions from Fuji, but nothing came at him. He blinked and slowly dropped his gaze to Fuji who was sitting on the couch. He took a step closer, but jumped slightly when Fuji turned to face him. Ryoma froze in place and stared back at Fuji who didn't reveal any expression on his face.

"Forget it," said Fuji softly, "If you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you…and you're right. I'm an older member of the club. I should have known that this was coming. If only Atobe…never mind."

He shook his head and stood, making Ryoma take a step back. He passed by Ryoma without looking at him and went into the kitchen. Ryoma's head and gaze followed after Fuji first and then his feet. He slowly walked over to the kitchen door and peeked inside. The smell of fresh coffee caught his attention before he noticed Fuji who was leaning over the sink. Ryoma watched curiously as Fuji shifted on his feet and sighed shakily as he ran his fingers through his hair. Ryoma stepped into the kitchen and glanced down to the floor. He cleared his throat to get Fuji's attention and then glanced up, staring into Fuji's blue eyes. Surprised by color, he glanced away again and shifted on his feet awkwardly. He wanted Fuji's attention, but after seeing his eyes, he had lost his train of thoughts and wasn't sure what to say to the older man.

"Are you hungry?" asked Fuji, breaking the silence.

Ryoma looked back to him, noticing that he was smiling. He carefully watched as the older man moved around the kitchen as he prepared to cook something. Ryoma gritted his teeth together and clenched his hand into a fist as he gathered his courage to speak.

"You're really not going ask me anything?" he asked.

He heard Fuji sigh as he once again turned to face him, "There's not much to ask when you're not willing to answer me."

"And that's it?"

"What do you mean that's it? What more do you want me to do? If you're unwilling to answer, then there's no point in pushing the issue. It'll get us no where and I don't want us to end up arguing about such an insignificant thing."

Frowning, Ryoma unclenched his fist. He was a little disappointed. He had thought that Fuji would be a little more forceful. Truthfully, he wouldn't have minded telling as long as Fuji would force it out of him. It would at least mean he didn't have to blame himself if he happened to blurt everything out. Shaking his head, he tossed the idea away and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Echiz-" Fuji tried to call out to him, but the doorbell interrupted him.

Ryoma stepped out of the kitchen walked back into the living to sit down while Fuji went to open the door. He stared at the blank television, but when he heard the familiar voice from the doorway, he quickly stood up. Fuji walked into the living with Atobe right behind him.

"I knew you would be here," said Atobe, "and it seems you're fine."

"Why are you here?" asked Fuji suspiciously.

"Just visiting my adorable pet," answered Atobe nonchalantly.

"I'm not your pet," hissed Ryoma as he walked over to Atobe's side, "Why are you here?"

"I'm taking you back home," replied Atobe with a blank stare.

Ryoma arched a brow and then glanced over to Fuji, who was frowning. He brought his gaze back to Atobe and looked him in the eyes. Atobe's eyes were practically telling him that he had no choice. Sighing, Ryoma nodded his head.

"Echizen, wait," said Fuji as he reached a hand out to grasp him by the arm, "I think you should stay here…"

"He has the choice to choose where he wants to go," said Atobe firmly as he grasp Ryoma by the other arm, "I didn't think you would become so infatuated with my little pet after a few short days."

"Didn't you hear him? He's not your pet."

Ryoma looked between them, unsure of what to do. It was the first time he was ever caught between two grown men fighting over him. He frowned at the thought it. He didn't like it that he was being treated like some mere object. He felt a tug from Fuji and looked at him. Fuji was frowning and he wasn't planning to let go. Then he felt a tug from Atobe. He didn't like where this tug-a-war was going. Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled left and then right and then left again. The two grown men were silently fighting each other and neither of them was going to back down. It went on for a few seconds before Ryoma snapped.

"Stop it!" he yelled as he pried his arms away from them, "I'm not some object! I'll choose where I want to stay and I…I'm going back with Atobe."

He saw the dejected look on Fuji's face and felt a pang in his stomach. He turned his head away so he wouldn't see Fuji's dejected expression. He didn't want to hurt Fuji, but in the end, it was Atobe who had done so much more for him and he couldn't disobey Atobe. Atobe had taken him in and raised him, even if it wasn't the best. He was obligated to listen to Atobe.

When Atobe turned to leave, Ryoma followed silently after him. He didn't even say goodbye to Fuji when they were leaving. However, he did turn to look back at him when Fuji mentioned that his house was always open for him to return. Ryoma nodded at the statement and then quickly followed after Atobe who was waiting for him in the black car. He sat in the back with him and turned his head slightly as the door was closed by the butler. He stared out the tinted window at Fuji who was still standing on the porch and staring back at him. Fuji waved, but before Ryoma could return the gesture, the car began to move and Fuji's face disappeared from his sight. He felt a small tap on his arm and turned in his seat. Glancing down at Atobe's hand, he saw the new cell phone.

"Here, a new phone. We caught all the traitors and, if you've seen the newspaper or heard the news, all dead," said Atobe without remorse.

"Don't you think it was a little suspicious killing them all at once?" asked Ryoma as he took the phone from Atobe and inspected it. "An iPhone? How did you know I needed a new one? I didn't think I deserve such a reward."

"They won't be able to find any leads," replied Atobe with a shrug. "We checked the surrounding areas and one of the members saw your cell phone on the floor. I decided to get rid of it because it could be used as evidence. And, you did deserve it. You found the culprits that were planning to get rid of the fight club."

"It wasn't all that gre-"

Ryoma winced and hissed in pain as Atobe reached over and grabbed his injured right arm. He was about to curse at Atobe, but he shut his mouth as soon as he saw Atobe's serious expression. Suddenly, Atobe's harsh grasp turned gentle and he caressed the injured arm. Ryoma blushed at the act and tried to pull his arm away, but Atobe wouldn't allow it. Silently, he succumbed to the touch and turned a little more so Atobe could have better access. When he was ordered to take off his shirt, Ryoma did as he was told and slipped off his shirt, tossing it onto the floor of car. Cold fingers brushed against his skin, sending shivers down his spine. They brushed over his shoulder wound and slowly trailed down his right arm.

"If you hadn't been so reckless, you wouldn't have been injured," said Atobe softly as he continued to caress the wounds.

"If it wasn't for my recklessness, you wouldn't have caught the traitors," retorted Ryoma.

"True, but if it had turned out differently…and you had been killed in the process, I would have those men mutilated and tossed into the sea instead of making it look like they committed suicide."

"I didn't know you cared so much about me."

"Is that sarcasm I hear? You should be ashamed of yourself for thinking that I don't care. You're my prodigy. Of course I would care."

"Of course it has to do with me being your prodigy."

Sighing, Ryoma reached down to pick up his shirt, but as soon as he picked up his shirt it slipped from his hands as Atobe pushed him down onto the car seat. He tried to sit back up, but Atobe leaned over him and dipped his head into the crook of his neck and nipped it. Ryoma let out a small moan, surprised by his sudden reaction.

"He's trained you well," mumbled Atobe against his skin before he moved and allowed Ryoma to sit up again.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ryoma as he sat up and glared at Atobe. "I thought you didn't like brats."

"Fuji. He's trained you well. I didn't think he would become interested in you…more like, I didn't think he swung that way. And, I don't like brats…you're an exception because I have to take care of you…my like is different from Fuji's like though."

"You're both perverts."

Ryoma scoffed and picked up his shirt again. He slipped it on just as they came to a stop on the drive way. The butler got out of the car first and opened the door for Atobe and then Ryoma. They got out the same time and walked towards the mansion where Kabaji met up with them. He took Atobe's jacket and followed after them as they made their way up the stairs to Atobe's room. As soon as they were in the room, the first thing that Atobe made Ryoma do was sit on the bed and take off his shirt again. Ryoma grumbled under his breath, calling Atobe a big pervert again before he sat down and took off his shirt again. A few seconds later and there was a knock on the door. Ryoma glanced to it and then back to Atobe who was standing next to an end table drinking his wine. He arched a questioning brow at the older man, wondering who that was, but Atobe ignored him. Kabaji opened the door and an old man walked in with a small black suitcase. Ryoma frown and turned slightly on the bed so he was facing Atobe, but Atobe was still ignoring him. The old man walked over to the bedside and smiled at Ryoma.

"He's just a doctor," Atobe finally said, "No need to have your guard up…though I wish you could be like that more with Fuji."

"Fuji already had a doctor look at me," Ryoma said, though hesitantly.

He was exactly sure how Atobe would react to it. He knew that Atobe disliked having someone he didn't know treat him because there was always a possibility that the person was a spy. And as soon as those words left his mouth, he could see Atobe's expression turn dark. Ryoma opened his mouth to say something, but Atobe was already walking over towards him and in a second he was looming over him. A loud slap echoed through the room. Ryoma felt a sting on his left cheek as it dawned on him that Atobe had just slapped him. He touched his reddening cheek, but didn't dare turn to look at Atobe.

"You stupid fool," said Atobe in a low tone, "How many times do I have to fucking tell you that you can't let anyone treat your injuries unless I give the okay? If it was just Fuji, then I don't give a damn, but if that doctor ends up talking about it, who knows what would happen! What if they are used as some kind of evidence?"

Without looking at Atobe, Ryoma said, "I was out cold. I didn't know he got a doctor to come over…"

"This is why I said to be careful around him! Kabaji, take the doctor out."

Kabaji nodded his head and led the doctor back out. When the doors closed, Ryoma felt the sharp pain of Atobe's grip on chin as he was forced to look up at the older man. He gritted his teeth together, preparing himself for a beating, but instead Atobe released his chin and sat down on the end of the bed. He heard the other man sigh as he rested his arms on his knees. Ryoma blinked and found himself crawling closer to him. He stopped midway when Atobe glanced at him, but the look in Atobe's eyes didn't reveal anger or resentment. Ryoma lowered his head as he resumed crawling closer until he was seated next to the man. His head was still lowered when he felt a large hand pat his head. Ryoma glanced up and saw Atobe's hand hovering over his head. The hand drifted down and Ryoma flinched slightly, but then he felt the hand touch his left cheek gently.

"Did it hurt?" asked Atobe.

"Not really," answered Ryoma, "I've been through worst."

He heard the older man chuckle and sighed in relief because Atobe wasn't mad at him anymore. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Atobe motioning him to his lap. Tilting his head, Ryoma looked at Atobe's lap and then frowned. He knew what Atobe was inferring to, but he wasn't planning to do such a thing. He hadn't done that in ages.

"What's wrong?" asked Atobe, "You use to love putting your head on my lap."

"That was back when you first took me in. Even then, I was reluctant. I'm not some kid who needs to be comfort," Ryoma said with a scowl.

"Come now…for old times sake."

Ryoma scowled under his breath, but in the end he gave in. He leaned forward and then lay down on bed with his head on Atobe's lap. He turned to his side so that his back was facing Atobe. He sighed as Atobe's fingers ran through his hair. It had been a while since he used Atobe's laps as a pillow. Back then, he was only eleven years old when Atobe took him under his wings. He lived with Atobe for two year before he decided to leave. By then, he had come to understand the relationship between them. Sighing, Ryoma shifted slightly. As much as he disliked the training, he didn't mind the ignorance he had when he was taken in.

"I wish I could have remained ignorant to your true objective," muttered Ryoma.

"And why is that?" asked Atobe as he stopped running his fingers through Ryoma's hair.

"Then maybe my life wouldn't be so messed up right now."

Hearing Atobe laugh made him sit up. He glared at the man before getting off the bed. He didn't want to remember his innocent thoughts about that man. He couldn't even believe he had thought Atobe was a good man.

"So, isn't it about time you tell me why you're so cautious of Fuji?" asked Ryoma as he picked up his shirt off the floor and slipped it back on.

"I think it's better if you try to find out yourself," answered Atobe as he stood, "Today, I want you spend the night here. There's no fight club tonight. I'm sure there are police investigating near the places anyway, though they won't find anything. You won't be fighting for a while either."

Ryoma shrugged his shoulders, but he did as he was told. For the day, he spent his time in the mansion. It wasn't any different from when he first arrived there. Even spending time with Atobe wasn't different. Still, he found himself yearning to return to that small house where Fuji was living. It was smaller, but it was comfortable. He didn't feel as lonely and even though Fuji was a pervert at times, he liked the atmosphere there. It reminded him a lot of his home when his parents were still alive.

Cursing under his breath, Ryoma sat up in bed. It was already dark and he couldn't sleep. From downstairs, he could hear music playing loudly and people talking. Atobe was having a party and he was invited, but Ryoma wasn't the type to attend parties, especially if they're friends of Atobe. They all loved to gossip and the girls were too annoying with their high pitch laughs. The men were horny bastards who wanted nothing more than a fuck. He knew all to well because he had been exposed to it once as a child when he lived with Atobe and he was traumatized for life. He scowled, flopping back onto the bed and squeezed the pillow so it covered his ears, but it didn't make much of a difference. He sighed, tossing and turning in bed until he got fed up. Ryoma got up from the bed, still in his pajamas, and slipped out from the room. There were plenty of other rooms on the second floor and a few doors were open wide, allowing the perfect view of people making out or doing drugs. Sighing, he shook his head and swiftly made his way down stairs where he was bombarded with loud music, dancing people, and the stench of horrible body odor. He gagged as he pushed his way through the bodies of people, searching for Atobe in the midst of the sweaty bodies. He finally spotted the man near the balcony where he was chatting with a young blond foreigner. He pushed through the final crowd of bodies and briskly strolled over to Atobe.

"It's too loud," stated Ryoma grouchily the moment he was within ear reach.

Atobe looked at him and smiled, "Why don't you leave then?"

Arching a brow, he stopped in his tracks. He wasn't sure where Atobe was going with that question. It was he who told him to stay for the night, but now he was saying he was free to leave. Ryoma tilted his head slightly, moving his feet forward little by little.

"I thought you wanted me to stay the whole night?" asked Ryoma.

"But you're not happy are you?" asked Atobe, "Don't get me wrong Echizen. I don't exactly care that if you're happy or not. You're injured and I need you to heal fast. Without you, the fight club isn't interesting. I tend to have parties, rowdy like this or sophisticated ones…you won't be able to rest here. I do think that Fuji's place is a lot better. I'll warn you again though, be careful around him. I still don't trust him and I'm currently investigating him."

"Okay?"

Ryoma arched a brow, turned on his heel, and walked towards the door. He had no idea what just happened, but he was just glad that he was leaving the house. Although it was the home he was taken into, it felt suffocating. Escaping that house the first time lifted a weight off his chest. He was glad that the suffocation was being lifted again as he opened the door and left the mansion without looking back.

The light in Fuji's house was still on and he briefly wondered if Fuji was still awake. He had left the key in Fuji's house and because he left in a rush with Atobe, he didn't have time to grab it. He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell once. Seconds passed before he heard the shuffling sound of footsteps. The doorknob clicked, twisted and then the door opened. Fuji's familiar face and body was between the door way. Ryoma could see the surprised expression on Fuji's face.

"Hey," greeted Ryoma.

"I thought you were going to spend the night with Atobe…" said Fuji slowly.

"I was…but then he said I could leave because it was too noisy there and I needed rest."

"So he said you should come here?"

"It's better than staying over there. So…are you going to let me in or not?"

A smile spread across Fuji's face as he took a side step, allowing Ryoma to enter the house. Ryoma entered the house and felt a sense of security. He never knew why, but Fuji's house always comforted him. He let out an inaudible sigh as he walked over to the sofa and plopped himself down. Hearing Fuji's footstep, he glanced up and saw Fuji shuffling towards him. He sat next to him and smiled.

"That's freaky," said Ryoma, "Don't smile at me like that."

"Why not? I'm glad that you came back here…that you chose to come back here. Where's your key though?" asked Fuji.

"I'll only admit this once…you have a comfortable bed. I left the key back in the room," answered Ryoma with a shrug. "You're…not mad at me?"

"Mad? For what?"

"This morning…I lied."

"Ahhh, that. It's fine. I'm not going to push you to answer. You can tell me when you feel like you can. So, hungry?"

Ryoma shook his head. He had already eaten at Atobe's house, though he didn't get to shower. With his wounds, it was hard to shower by himself, but he wasn't going to ask Atobe or Kabaji to help him. He didn't want to feel like a kid.

"Do you want to take a bath?" asked Fuji, "I'm sure it's hard to shower with your wounds."

Ryoma arched a brow and said, "Why is it that you knew what I was thinking? That's just…weird."

Fuji laughed and replied, "I love observing you…as much as you try to put up an emotionless expression, it doesn't work that well. It's quite easy to see what you're thinking. And so…I will help you take a bath."

Ryoma's eyes widen at the suggestion and he shook his head. Fuji was worst than Atobe helping him in the bath. He didn't know what the older man was going to do. He tried to scoot away, but Fuji reached out to him and before he knew it, he was being dragged to the bathroom against his will. Despite his struggling, Fuji was able to get him to undress and sit on a pink stool, a color that he didn't like. In the end, Ryoma agreed to allow Fuji to help him as long as there was a towel wrapped around him. He turned his back towards Fuji and sat rigidly. He was the only one naked while Fuji was fully clothed. It was uncomfortable to be in such a position, but he could tell Fuji was thoroughly enjoying every moment of it. He scowled while he yielded to Fuji's order every time he needed him to move so he could soap him completely. While Fuji was washing his back and being careful not to soak his wounds, Ryoma found himself relaxing. During the time they were in the bathroom, Fuji hadn't tried anything on him, so he decided that maybe he didn't need to worry so much…until he felt Fuji's fingers gently trail down his sides. He shivered at the touch and let out a shaky sigh. Realizing that his body was reacting to the touch, Ryoma jolted forward and turned around so he was facing Fuji.

"What's wrong?" asked Fuji innocently.

"I think…I can handle the rest…" mumbled Ryoma as he tried to move away, but his movement only made the bulge on the towel more noticeable.

He saw Fuji's head glance down between his legs and he blushed while quickly trying to cover the bulge. However, it was too late to hide it and Fuji was soon hovering over him. Ryoma squirmed, pushing himself back and propping himself against the side of the tub. His elbows rested against the sides as he closed his eyes tightly. Soft lips pressed against his and sighed contently. The kiss was gentle and soothing, but it didn't last long. Fuji's tongue flicked out and licked his bottom lip. Ryoma gasped and suddenly Fuji's warm tongue was invading his mouth. He moaned and tipped his head slightly to give him better access. It was a sloppy kiss with saliva dribbling down his chin. He grunted and pulled back for a breath of air. He took one gulp of air before Fuji was kissing him again. Fuji's mouth moved away from his lips and began trailing down his neck, then his chest, and even lower. Ryoma bit his lower lips, tipped his head back, and arched his back as Fuji reached his navel. A wet and warm tongue circled around his navel and then traveled lower. He felt the cotton towel slip from his thigh and glanced down to see Fuji's head dip between his legs. A hot mouth covered his length and he gasped in pleasure. Ryoma moaned and tipped his head back again. He could his own voice echoing in the bathroom. He covered his mouth, but it wasn't stopping him from moaning. He tried to cut out the sound of his own voice, but then he was bombarded with the sound of slurping noises. He groaned and rolled his head to the side slightly. Eventually, all he could hear was himself moaning loudly and Fuji's slurping.

"Ahhhn…Fu…ji," he moaned, "please…don't…stop."

Suddenly, Ryoma felt a tug in his lower region and he knew he was at his limit. He tried to warn Fuji, but his words became incoherent. He came in Fuji's mouth, shaking in pleasure. It took a few seconds, but when he was done he scowled tiredly. He wanted to punch Fuji and yell at him, but his whole body lost its strength. Fuji's name slurred on the tips of tongue and he fell into an abrupt slumber.

Author's Note: This is a bit of a talking chapter. Actually, a lot of talking, but the next chapter will be the beginning of the complications. So tune it later for the next chapter…Fuji's identity revealed!

I would have written a special bonus story about Atobe's and Ryoma's Christmas day together, but...I got a little lazy. XP


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-Fight! : Identity **

Two weeks had pass since the incident in the bathroom. Ryoma was giving Fuji the silent treatment. He didn't even need to say a word to make Fuji tend to his needs like a slave, though he suspected that the older man was enjoying it. Finally, after Fuji pleaded with a smile for Ryoma to speak to him, he reluctantly spoke, but the first word that left his mouth wasn't exactly polite.

"Pervert," said Ryoma as he walked out the front door and slammed the door shut.

He could hear Fuji laughing from inside the house and grumbled under his breath. He was embarrassed that his body had reacted the way it did. He even told Fuji not to stop in the process. It was a wound against his pride, but he wasn't going to show it. He walked back to Atobe's house where he was met with the annoying brunette from before. He cursed mentally and glared at Atobe who was sitting quietly on his red couch. Ryoma ignored her curious glances and walked over to Atobe. He stood before the man and arched a brow.

"So, anything new with the club?" he asked, "It's boring to sit around and do nothing."

"And here I thought you were enjoying your time with Fuji," said Atobe with a hint of teasing, "I was being cautious. Cops are still investigating the area. I might change the meeting the place…"

"About that…have you spotted any one investigating around here?"

"I had a couple…but it's fine."

"What's with the girl?"

"Nothing…just wanted some of the new drugs. Don't worry about it and go back to Fuji. I don't want him getting suspicious of anything."

Ryoma nodded his head and turned around. The brunette girl was fidgeting in her seat and biting her fingernails. She no longer looked like the bright girl who tried to seduce him, but failed miserably after he kissed Atobe in front of her. Her once peachy skin was now a pale ivory with dark bags under her eyes. He wondered briefly if her blond friend was going through the same or if she had already given herself up to the streets. That was what usually happened to drug addicts. Ryoma knew that eventually he'll be seeing her on the streets soon too. He sighed at the sight, wondering how he looked when he was craving for drugs.

"You're like a spider," said Ryoma while his back was still turned towards Atobe.

"Hm? What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Because anyone who comes into your house is walking into a web…they'll be trapped by the sweet taste of the drugs and they'll never get free. They're sucked dried of their blood, organs, anything edible on their body and once it's all gone, you'll toss them away…like a prey who just finished his meal."

Even without looking, he could tell Atobe was smiling. It was burning into his back and right through him. Ryoma didn't want to turn around and look into that smiling face. He wanted to think that he was different from all the others who were brought here.

"Are you afraid that you're one too?" asked Atobe smugly.

"…Yes, I am," answered Ryoma honestly.

He took a breath and turned around to face Atobe. A shaky sigh left his lips as he stared into Atobe's smirking expression. It just reminded him of how much he hated the man.

"Don't worry…you're my special prey. I've wrapped you up and saving you for last. I don't want to eat you yet…but then again, I don't ever want to eat you, so you don't have to worry," said Atobe as he swooshed the wine in his glass.

"I hope so…but if you do, don't expect me to just lay there and say 'please eat me.' I'll be sure to give you a hard time," retorted Ryoma as he turned again and resumed walking out, "And once I'm free…I'll kill you."

Atobe chuckled, "My, my, aren't you a feisty one? Well, I guess that's part of the reason why I took you in. And to think two weeks ago you were here acting like the same child who first arrived here."

Ryoma scowled and frowned, "That time you weren't being yourself either. I was in a weak stage. I won't be coming back here to raise your fucking ego."

Ryoma left the house, fuming in anger with Atobe's laughter echoing from behind him. He cursed mentally as he roamed the streets. After going through that, he just remembered how much he hated that man. He made his way to the warehouse where most of the fight club members usually hung out, but when he entered the building, he found it half empty. Then he remembered what had happen to Sengoku. Sengoku probably wasn't the best guy out there, but Ryoma did like him better than most of the other members. He was more rational and he seemed to have a bit of humanity inside of him. That was especially proven when he chose to betray Atobe to escape from the fight club. Sighing, he turned back around and wandered the streets again.

While he roamed the streets, he remembered doing the same thing when he first left Atobe's house. It was after he found out what Atobe was planning for him. He was pissed that Atobe had used him, so he ran away. However, Atobe always seemed to know where he was, so running from him was useless. At that time, he believed that Atobe had some kind of all seeing power, but then he realized that Atobe had a tracker implanted into his cell phone. He frowned at the thought of remembering his naïveté. He honestly thought he was free from the house, but whenever he ended up meeting someone and being helped, he found out that the person helping him was connected to Atobe in some way. Anything he did was connected in some way to Atobe and before long he came to accept the fact that Atobe wasn't ever going to leave him alone. Atobe had been taking care of him from the shadows whether he wanted it or not, but he never knew if it was because Atobe wanted to use him for the fight club or if he really cared. Even now Ryoma didn't understand his actions. In a way, he was still a house cat that was just being allowed to roam in the streets.

Ryoma stopped in his tracks and turned to look at a glass window displaying some tennis rackets. His father was once a great tennis player and he learned to play from him, but ever sine his death, Ryoma had stopped playing tennis. He didn't even know if he could still play. Sighing, he started walking again. He passed by a few sports store and checked inside, but he didn't buy anything. He began to wonder what his life would have been like if his parents never died or if his cousin who took him in never disappeared. He stopped again and stared at the floor, shaking off the feeling of sorrow. It wasn't like him to remember the past. Suddenly, he heard whacking sound, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked up slowly and noticed a tennis court not too far away from where he was standing. He leisurely strolled over to the court and was surprised by what he saw. Momo was playing tennis and he was smiling. Ryoma was glad that fight club wasn't affecting his normal life. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard Momo calling out to him.

"Echizen!" yelled Momo as he ran over to the fence.

Ryoma turned around to face him and stared blankly at him, "Hey."

"I heard what happened. It looks like you're okay now?"

"Yeah…took some time to recover, but I'm perfectly fine now. I'm ready to join fight club any time."

"That fast huh? Was Atobe postponing the fight club because you were injured?"

"I doubt it. There were some cops lingering around…"

"Because of the thing that came out on the news two weeks ago? Fifteen guys were a lot of people to kill…I'm surprise Atobe was able to pull it off."

"He can pull off anything and not get caught. So, you play tennis?"

"Yup, I'm on the tennis team. Don't you go to school?"

"No…Atobe hires a tutor for me from time to time, but since I've left his house, I don't get tutored much anymore."

"Huh? I wish I didn't have to go to school. I hate all those tests. Anyways, do you know how to play tennis? If not, I can teach you!"

Ryoma blinked and stared at the racket. He felt his hand twitch slightly at the sight of it, but he pushed the urge to play away. He shook his head and told Momo he would next time. Ryoma turned away after they said their good-byes and began walking back the way he came from. He could hear Momo talking with his tennis members excitedly and suddenly he felt a pang in the pit of his stomach. He stopped in his tracks and turned to watch Momo as he went back to playing tennis with his tennis team. He knew that feeling that was bubbling inside the bottom of his stomach. It was guilt; guilt over dragging Momo in the chaotic life of the underworld. Momo didn't belong in it. He wasn't stained by the lust for blood, the sudden rush of adrenaline every time he fought someone, or the craving to go wild. He wasn't meant for fight club and yet he had introduced such a world to him. Ryoma shifted slightly on his feet, his face revealing nothing. The guilt tugged at him, but he pushed it away too. He didn't need such emotions like love, guilt, compassion, or empathy. All he needed was hate…hate for the world for taking away his parents, for making his cousin disappear, for letting him be taken in by Atobe, for making him become some kind of monster used for fighting, and for making him addicted to the adrenaline, the drug, the sex, and the money. Sighing, Ryoma turned again, brushing away all his thoughts and emptying his mind. He wasn't going to ponder on such useless thoughts anymore.

He was nearly nightfall when he came back to Fuji's house. As he entered the house, he received a text from Atobe. The new meeting place for fight club was decided. It was near the harbor, a few miles away from the city. After deleting the message, he slipped the phone into the pockets of his blue jacket. The house was empty which meant Fuji was called in to work. He wondered briefly where Fuji worked since he never spoke about it. Curious by his sudden thought, he began to venture around the house again. Yet, as much as he searched, high and low, there was nothing that indicated some kind of hint where Fuji worked. He stood in the middle of the living and arched a brow. His house was really clean and it seemed Fuji made sure that nothing could be found out about where he worked. There was no work number, not even a message from his co-workers and neither were there any clothes that gave any hint. He didn't see a lot of suits, so that meant Fuji wasn't a salary man. There wasn't any type of uniform or extra uniforms that were lying around the house too, so Ryoma couldn't figure it out. He tapped his foot against the floor board as his eyes scanned the room. His gaze fell upon Fuji's office room where he tended to work. Ryoma never got a chance to see inside because Fuji often kept it lock, even when he was working in there. Lock picking wasn't his forte, but it would be worth a shot if he at least got a clue about Fuji's employment. He searched for a paper clip and found one lying on the counter of the kitchen. He walked to the office door and slowly knelt down on his knees. Just as he was about to insert the paper clip, he heard the front door open. Ryoma dropped the paper clip by surprise and quickly stood up in time to see Fuji appear in the living room. He could see Fuji from the hallway as he peered from behind the wall. Fuji was carrying a grocery bag, which meant he just came back from the store. Ryoma inched slightly to get a better view, but his cell phone started to vibrate, startling him. He reached for his phone, only to trip over the wrinkled rug and land on the floor with a loud thud.

"Echizen?" called out Fuji as Ryoma sat up, "You're back early…"

"So are you…I actually have to get going again," said Ryoma was he got up and winced slightly at the pain from his arm.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine…it doesn't hurt much."

"Okay…when will you be back?"

"Don't know…couple of hours?"

Ryoma glanced up and saw a bit of uneasiness in Fuji's expression, but it quickly disappeared. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but his phone began to vibrate again. Cursing mentally to himself, he took out his iPhone and slid the gray bar to enter his pass code. It opened to his home screen where a blue box with white texts blinked up. It was from Atobe telling him to meet at the harbor where their new fight club was located. He quickly clicked the power button and the screen turned black.

"I have to get going now," said Ryoma.

"Atobe?" asked Fuji with an arch of the brow.

"No…I promised someone I was going to meet with him tonight. I'm a little late and he's just being impatient."

"Him?"

"…yes, him…why?"

"…you're not selling yourself are you?"

"Are you suspecting me of prostitution?"

"No, but I am a little worried."

"No need to…what I do with my body is my own business…"

Ryoma walked pass Fuji, ignoring the man as he made it to the door. He heard Fuji's footstep behind him and turned to tell him off, but as soon as he faced Fuji, warm lips pressed against his. Ryoma's eyes widen in shock at the sudden kiss, but he didn't reject it either. He stood still for a moment before succumbing to the kiss. His eyes closed slowly as he wrapped his arms around Fuji's neck, pushing them closer until their bodies pressed tightly against one another. The gentle kiss turned rough and fervent as though it was like a need for the human body. Hands slid down his back and he felt himself being lifted from the ground. A sharp pain course from his back as Fuji pushed him against the wall forcefully. Ryoma grunted into the kiss and lifted his legs, wrapping them around Fuji's waist so he wouldn't slide down. He could feel the older man's hands push against his butt, propping him up as he massaged his ass. Ryoma hissed in eagerness, his hands running through Fuji's hair. Nimble fingers prodded his anal entrance through his jeans, causing Ryoma to moan into the kiss. Suddenly, Fuji was thrusting and rotating his hips. Ryoma broke from the kiss and gave a throaty moan.

"Never forget this," muttered Fuji into the crook of his neck, "the feel of me as I thrust into you…imagine it Echizen…as I thrust deeper into you. My heat and all of me…remember it as you give yourself to another."

Ryoma groaned as his erection rubbed against the cloth of his jeans. He wanted more…he wanted the real heat of Fuji's skin. He wanted the other man deep inside him, but before he could make such a request, he ejaculated. His voice murmured in pleasure as he arched his back, crying out in bliss. His hands slipped from Fuji's neck and his legs released its hold as his body turned into some kind of jelly. He could hear Fuji's ragged breathing from besides his ear. His hot breath tickled Ryoma's ear and he shivered. Ryoma reached between the two of them with his shaking hands and pushed Fuji away. His head faced to the floor, hiding a flush on his face.

"Always thinking with your cock," muttered Ryoma.

"I'm sorry if that's the impression you have of me," said Fuji with a slight tease.

Ryoma shoved Fuji and ran pass him. He opened the front door and stood in between the door frame without looking at Fuji. He shifted on his feet and then slowly glanced over his shoulder. A red blush colored his cheeks. He didn't dare to look at Fuji in the eyes.

"I…I didn't dislike it. But don't think I'll let you do whatever you want!" he said shyly as he abruptly turned his head away and ran out to the street.

He caught a taxi when he got to the main city and traveled to the harbor where Atobe was already waiting for him. When they had reached the harbor, Ryoma offered extra money to the cab to wait for him, which the driver willing accepted. He got of the cab and walked towards the warehouses. He was a few feet away when he began to see Atobe's silhouette in the darkness. He walked over to him and noticed that Atobe had a cigarette in mouth.

"Never took you as one to smoke," said Ryoma.

"I'm not, but I do every once in a while to release pent up stress," Atobe said with a shrug.

Ryoma watched as Atobe tossed the cigarette to the floor and step on it. He then nodded his head to the warehouse with the number thirteen on it. Ryoma glanced over to it and blinked twice.

"You sure this is a safe place?" asked Ryoma.

"Maybe…maybe not," answered Atobe with another shrug.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I wonder too…guess I should have been a little more careful. Ah, well…it doesn't matter, they'll never catch me because they don't have any hard evidence."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Fuji, Echizen. I did a little investigation on him and it turns out your fuck buddy is my enemy."

"Fuji and I aren't fuck buddies and I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Must I spell everything out for you? Echizen…Fuji works for the fuzz. He's a cop who's disguising himself to get information out of you and get me locked up, but they don't have any hard evidence. I was careless for letting him get near you…"

At first the words didn't register in head, but after a few seconds, it dawned on Ryoma what Atobe had just mentioned. He took a step back in shock and slowly shook his head. He never once thought that Fuji was a cop because he never acted like one. He even associated himself with the fight club. Ryoma gave a short laugh, but then began to remember the phone calls where Fuji would go to his office room that was always locked and the way he would act after the phone calls. Ryoma clenched his hands into a fist and quickly turned around to run back to the cab. He stopped and turned his head slightly to the side.

"What about fight club? What's going to happen to it?" asked Ryoma in a low voice.

"It'll be fine…as long as you don't betray me and become their evidence," replied Atobe nonchalantly, "I trust that you won't betray me…ah, but you do hate fight club and you hate me, but…I am still going to trust you my dear Echizen."

The last words echoed in his head, sending shivers down his spine. He wasn't sure if he really did hate fight club. It was a part of his life now. It was the only way he knew how to live. He swallowed slowly and then resumed walking back to the cab. He could feel sweat on the palm of his hands. He was anxious to see Fuji again. He wanted to know the truth. Even though he heard it from Atobe's own mouth, a part of him didn't want to believe it. As soon as he made it back to the cab, he ordered the driver to head back to Fuji's house. The drive was long and agonizing. He wished the cab would drive faster, but in the back of his mind, he didn't want to either. He feared the truth and yet he had to pull the courage to go. His lively hood was at stake…Atobe was at stake. As much has he despised the man, Atobe was the one who took him in and cared for him even though his way of taking care of a child was a little twisted.

As soon as the cab came to a stop, he got out quickly and paid the driver. He crossed the street quickly and walked up to the porch. He could see a few figure shadows from the window and his heart sped up. He held his breath and took out the key from his pocket. He exhaled slowly as he inserted the key and twisted it. He heard a click from the other side and took another breath. Trying to steady his hand, he reached for the doorknob and turned it. The door opened and he stepped inside quietly. He didn't even bother to close the door as he walked pass the wall. He could hear voices from the living, three who were unfamiliar and one that he knew all too well. The living room came into view and the voices stopped as they saw him. Ryoma stood frozen as he stared at the badges that hung on their suits. He glanced around the room and found Fuji. He was standing near a man with glasses and he was slowly moving towards Ryoma. Ryoma took a step back and shook his head. He turned to run out the door, but before he could run out of the house, Fuji caught his arm.

"Echizen, let me explain," said Fuji urgently as he pulled Ryoma to turn and face him.

Ryoma looked at him and glared, "You…you're a cop! You fucker! Let go of me!"

"Fuji, is he the boy?" asked the man with glasses.

He had a stoic expression with a stern attitude. Ryoma assumed that he was the chief.

"Yeah…this is Echizen Ryoma. Tezuka, can you give me some time alone with him?" asked Fuji.

Ryoma glanced to the man called Tezuka and scowled, but Tezuka ignored him and nodded his head at Fuji. He turned and went back to the living room, leaving Ryoma and Fuji alone near the doorway. Ryoma hissed at Fuji and tugged his arm away.

"I'm sorry…I couldn't exactly tell you. I was working under cover…" whispered Fuji, "There were many times when I wanted to, but if I did you would have ran away."

"Yeah, I would have…and I wouldn't ever come back," said Ryoma angrily.

"But…we need you Echizen. We all know that Atobe is involved with illegal fighting and drug trafficking. Word on the street is that Atobe is starting up human trafficking. We can't let him go and…if you would be a witness for us and testify against him, you can be free from that world. You once told me that you were tired of fighting, well…this is it. You don't have to fight anymore as long as you help us."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Hear about what?"

"That Atobe is involved with illegal fighting and drug trafficking?"

"You said so…about fight club and everything."

"Must have been the slip of a tongue because I don't remember seeing Atobe involved with anything illegal…"

Ryoma stared straight into Fuji's eyes. His teeth clenched together as he reached into his pocket and touched the cold key. It felt exactly like how Ryoma felt right now. He took it out and turned his hand around so his palm was facing up. He opened his hand and held the key out to Fuji. Slowly, he tipped his hand and the key fell from the palm of his hand. He could see it fall slowly to the floor, landing onto the ground. The sound of the key hitting the floor echoed through his mind.

"You can have that back," said Ryoma coldly, "I'm not going to be a witness for an accusation that isn't even true."

He turned on his heels and walked out the front door. He could hear Fuji shuffling from behind him and then his footsteps following after him. He was near the streets when Fuji grabbed him by the arms again and turned him around once more. This time, Fuji pulled him into a tight hug.

"You're our last hope. When we finally thought we had a lead, all the men died, but we didn't have enough evidence to point it at Atobe. Please Echizen…you can escape from this life. You can have a normal life…I can give that to you," whispered Fuji softly.

Ryoma gritted his teeth together and pushed Fuji away. He glared at him and then slapped him. Tears were welling at the corner of his eyes. He didn't understand why he was feeling the way he was.

He opened his mouth and said, "I trus-"

Suddenly, his words were stuck. His sentence trailed off and he understood why he felt betrayed by Fuji. In his head he believed that he didn't trust Fuji, but his heart had already trusted him a long time ago. He closed his mouth and looked away. A single tear fell from his eye and trickled down his cheek.

"I…stop following me or I will have to kill you," muttered Ryoma.

"You would become a murderer for Atobe?" asked Fuji incredulously.

"For him…yes. He took me in when others stared at me like was trash. He gave me food, gave me clothes, and gave me a home. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him. It's my life…everything he gave me, it's my life and as much as I hate it, I love it too much to let it all go like this. And you…you used me."

"He used you too! Don't try to deny it….Atobe used you, molded you into a perfect little pet!"

Ryoma scowled and punched Fuji in the face. He staggered back, but he didn't fall down. Compared to the opponents he fought before, Fuji at least held his ground. Ryoma took another step back and straightened his back.

"I'm not his pet. If I was…I would have done more than just slap or punch you," he said in a soft voice, "I thought you would have at least understood that much, but boy, was I wrong."

"If I had met you first, things would have been different," said Fuji quietly.

"But you didn't. Admit it…you wouldn't have paid attention to me…some orphan ruffian out on the streets. You and your kind wouldn't need to bother with me especially since I wasn't involved in some big organization or gang. You only turned to me once I had connections to Atobe…well, for that one fucking year that I was out on the streets; none of you came to help me. I had to defend myself. I was only ten when I was forced onto the streets. No one knew what happened to my cousin and no one bothered to look for her. One, damn, fucking year and no one dared to turn towards me and hold out a hand for me…at least Atobe had the sense to pick me off the streets."

When Fuji didn't say anything, Ryoma continued, "Everything…it was a mistake to do those _things_ with you. I was a fool to think that you actually cared for me."

He turned away from Fuji and this time Fuji didn't go after him. He didn't hear the footsteps of the older man following him or his voice asking for forgiveness. He was walking away from Fuji and everything that happened between them. The memories of living with Fuji were a distant pain. His body was numb as his mind was too. He didn't want to think anymore. All he had left was fight club and that was all he needed…

Author's Note: Before I knew it, Ryoma has become a tsundere. O.o And so…the end of Ready—FIGHT! is coming near the end. Okay, not really. I still have a few more chapters to go...but things will probably wrap up pretty quickly.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-Fight! : On the Run**

Ryoma wasn't sure how long it had been since the incident of finding out Fuji's identity, but he didn't want to care about it anymore. Atobe had ordered him to stay with a friend just in case Fuji and his other officers went searching for him in his house. Ryoma had to keep a low profile, but other than that, everything else in his life had return to normal…the way it was before he met Fuji. He was lying on the bed when Oshitari, Atobe's friend as well as a member of fight club, walked into the room. Ryoma sat up and stared at the taller man with glasses. He had come to hate people with glasses because it reminded him of the man called Tezuka. He scowled unconsciously and looked away.

"If it wasn't for Atobe's request, I would never have taken you in. Such a rude brat," he grumbled, "Get ready. Atobe arranged for a fight club meeting tonight."

Since that night too, Atobe took his iPhone away and tossed it. He had no idea what happened to it, but he was sure that Atobe destroyed the phone somehow. Members of fight club were ordered to never speak of him outside of the meetings, which meant word of him on the streets would disappear. Sighing, Ryoma got up from the bed and walked towards the closet where some of his clothes hung and a dresser was placed with his clothes inside. He rummaged to the drawer and took out a pair of jeans and a black tank top. He glanced over his shoulder and glared at Oshitari who was still in the room.

"Oh please, I'm not going to attack you," said Oshitari when he noticed Ryoma's glare, "I'm not like Atobe or that Fuji guy."

Ryoma scowled and then quickly changed. He slipped on a wrist sweatband and a pair of socks. He walked to the door together with Oshitari and stopped briefly to slip on his vans. Once they were out the door and in the car, Oshitari started the car and they left his house.

It was already dark when they reached the harbor. A few cars were parked outside the warehouse, but there wasn't many. It would cause a disturbance if people saw cars parked outside of an abandoned warehouse. Ryoma and Oshitari walked to the warehouse and entered it using the new password. As they entered, a haze of smoke covered their sight. Ryoma held back a cough and walked forward, separating from Oshitari who went in a different direction. When he came forward, a crowd of men were hurdled, forming a circle around Atobe. Ryoma caught Atobe's gaze and then glanced away. He turned towards his left and walked over to Momo who was standing alone. They greeted each other briefly since Atobe was starting the matches already.

"Gentlemen, you all remember what happened a few weeks ago…" he announced with his confident voice, "A few of our members thought they could escape by selling me out. I had a few cops on my case for a while, but I'm perfect with handling these situations, so they couldn't arrest me. You all know about the rule as well…anyone who betrays fight club gets the death sentence. Those fifteen men received punishment for trying that. Anyone else who tries to do the same thing will get the same punishment. But of course, I couldn't have found the culprits if it wasn't for my little prodigy. Ryoma Echizen. It was thanks to him that I found the culprits and I hope that everyone will follow his example in reporting any traitors to me. I also want everyone to remember that Echizen took a hit for all of us. It was hurt in the middle of trying to find out who the traitors were…everyone, let us all thank him for keeping fight club safe."

The men all turned towards him, including Momo, and bowed. Ryoma scowled under his breath and glanced away. After a few minutes, they returned their attention to Atobe who was beginning to announce the matches for the night. The first battle was between Kentaro Aoi and Akira Kamio. The second was Oshitari's match and after his was Ohtori's. The last match was Ryoma's, his returning debut. He was going to fight against Genichiro Sanada. Ryoma looked across the room and saw Sanada and at his waist was a wooden kendo sword.

"How troublesome," muttered Ryoma, "I don't even have a weapon."

The first battle began. Kentaro Aoi was known as a professional Muay Thai fighter and everyone in the fight club was excited to see the outcome of the match. Kentaro was the first to make his move. He stepped in quickly, grabbing Kamio into a clinch. Kamio tried to escape the clinch by moving to the left, but as soon as he did, he left his head for an opening. Kentaro lifted his knee and smacked his knee into the side of Kamio's face, missing his temple by just a few inches. The echoing of the hit caused the warehouse to erupt in a loud roar. Bets were being made that Kentaro would win because of his Muay Thai techniques, but Ryoma knew better. He looked to his side and saw Momo betting for Kentaro as well, but he reached over and grabbed Momo by the hand to stop him.

"Don't," said Ryoma.

"Eh? Why not? Didn't you see that kick?" asked Momo, "Kentaro is definitely going to win."

"Fight club is street fighting. Compared to Muay Thai which is fought in a ring with a referee with rules, street fighting doesn't have any rules or limits. It's everything goes and that means anyone can fight dirty. Kentaro is a professional…he's not use to dirty techniques and Kamio…he's better at that than anyone else in here and besides, Kamio is fast too, probably faster than Kentaro."

He could see Momo take it into consideration and then he took his money back. Ryoma sighed in relief. Other than not wanting Momo to lose his money, he also didn't want Momo to get involved with the gambling in fight club. It was easy to get addicted to such things and he wanted to make sure that Momo would never be tainted with such things. He took one last glance to Momo before turning his attention back to the fight. Kentaro swung his right foot into the air and brought it back down, hitting Kamio in the head and taking him down. Kamio fell to the floor with a loud thud. The crowd went wild again, throwing in money into the circle. Kentaro took a step back, dropping his guard. Ryoma smirked, watching Kamio closely. As soon as Kentaro dropped his guard, Kamio reached into his jacket and took out two brass knuckles. He slipped it on quickly and got up. Using his speed, he stepped in and upper cut Kentaro. Blood splattered across the floor and the crowd went silent. Kentaro wobbled backwards, shocked that Kamio was able to get up even after his kick.

"Im-impossible," mumbled Kentaro.

"Heh, you underestimate me. I moved just in time to avoid getting a full on hit with that kick of yours," said Kamio, "Now, let the real fight begin."

Kentaro spat blood onto the floor and took his stance again. When Kamio came rushing in, he swung his left foot for a middle kick, but as soon as it made contact with Kamio, Kamio grabbed onto his leg and pushed forward, making Kentaro lose his balance. He fell onto his back. While still clutching onto Kentaro's left foot, Kamio raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist. He punched Kentaro's left thigh repeatedly until the skin tore and blood was seeping out. Kentaro gritted his teeth together and used his other foot to kick free. Kamio lost his grip and was pushed back, allowing Kentaro to break free and get up, but his left foot was now injured. Kamio took advantage of Kentaro's injury and ran towards him for another take down. He dodged Kentaro easily and tackled him down. He knocked back Kentaro's punch and slammed his fist into Kentaro's face. Before he could land another punch, Kentaro kicked him back and got back up. Blood was dripping from his face, obscuring his vision. His legs wobbled and once again, Kamio went in for another tackle. The process repeated until the fight ended with Kentaro knocking out from all the beating and blood lost.

"Told you," muttered Ryoma with a smirk as he glanced at Momo from the corner of his eyes.

"But he's a professional," said Momo in shock.

"Yeah, well…Kamio is a professional in street fighting. I'm sure he's been up against people like Kentaro before."

Ryoma shrugged and turned, but as soon as he did, he caught sight of an unfamiliar face. Frowning, he glanced over his shoulder searched for Atobe, but he couldn't find the man in the crowd. Cursing under his breath, he grabbed Momo by the arm and pushed his way through the crowd. He could Momo asking him what he was doing, but he didn't have time to answer. He finally found Atobe, but before he could even take one step towards him, an unfamiliar voice rang out.

"What the hell is going on here?" yelled the unfamiliar person.

Silence fell over the members as they turned to look at the man. He was fat and bald. On his stubby fingers were two gold rings and one of them was the symbol of a gang. Ryoma glanced over to Atobe only to see the older man smiling. He always thought Atobe was crazy and his smile had proved it. Atobe had used the warehouse that belonged to a gang without permission and he was enjoying the thrill of it. Ryoma watched carefully as Atobe stood up slowly and walked over to the man.

"Ah, you're back early. I was hoping you would be later," said Atobe.

"Ah? Who the fuck are you?" asked the man.

"Me? I am none other than the great Atobe Keigo."

Suddenly, the expression on the other man's face changed. It was a look of fear as he took a step back. The fat man turned and ran to his guards who had reached into their pockets.

"Th-the Atobe Keigo. Fools, what are you waiting for? Shoot that man! He's the one that's been stealing all of out clients for the drug dealings!" yelled the man.

Ryoma sighed as he realized what had happened. Atobe was probably using the meeting to take out a rival in his drug trafficking. As soon as the guards took out their guns, the fight club members took out their own. Ryoma led Momo away as soon as they took out their weapons and took him out through the side exit.

"Get out of here," said Ryoma, "You don't have a gun and it's most likely going to turn into a blood bath."

"What about you?" asked Momo.

"The monkey king is still here. I can't go anywhere if he's still here."

"What? But…it's not safe for you either. You shou-"

"Run. I'm sorry I got you involved in this damn fight club. Don't get your hands dirty. It's not the right place for you."

"But I followed you out of my own free will…Echizen, I'm glad a met you."

He didn't understand why Momo had said that, but he ignored it and started walking back. Suddenly, it dawned on him why Momo was saying that. He turned and faced the other boy. His dark silhouette looked familiar in the darkness. Ryoma smiled wryly. He couldn't believe he had forgotten about that silhouette. At that time, he was busy trying to fight for his life that it never occurred to him that among the men who he fought was someone else he also knew.

"You…you're one of the traitors from that time," said Ryoma with a dry laugh, "Why didn't you run?"

"If I did, I would have been a suspect," he replied, "Atobe never found out about me because I was one of the newer members who joined to bring him down. Not everyone knew about me, only Sengoku and Mizuki. They didn't say anything and the other men couldn't have leaked information on me."

"I could kill you right now."

"Can you do it though?"

Ryoma sucked in a breath and then exhaled. He stared at the floor for a second and then slowly looked up where his eyes met with Momo. There was desperation in Momo's eyes and he struck him hard in the gut. Again, he felt the pang of guilt. Ryoma glanced away and clenched his hands into tight fists. He didn't want Momo dead and he couldn't kill him. He was a light that was surrounded by the darkness, but he wasn't being consumed.

"Get out of here," Ryoma said in a low voice and then once again in a louder voice, "get the fuck out of here!"

Momo turned and ran, his back facing Ryoma. He never looked back once. Ryoma contemplated on going after him and killing him, but he couldn't do it. As a sigh escaped from his lips, the sound of gun fires rang in his ears along with the dying gurgles and voices of men.

"You let that boy escape," said Atobe from behind him.

"Let him go," said Ryoma, "He doesn't need to die for such a thing. He won't say anything. The risks are too high."

"You seem to trust him."

"He is…a good person."

"Since when can you tell a good person apart from a bad person?"

"I can't. I just know that Momo would never tell on you because you can always find him and kill him. Besides, why aren't you in there with the others?"

"Ah, that…well, most of the ones in there dying are the ones planning to turn me in to the cops."

Atobe's words made him turn around. He focused on the small group behind Atobe and noticed only twenty of fight club members were there. Among them were Oshitari, Kabaji, Kamio, Sanada, and Ohtori. He sighed and looked over to Atobe who lit a cigarette.

"Oshitari, I leave the rest to you. If there are any survivors…kill them. When the cops come to check it out…it'll just look like a fight among gang members," Atobe said, "Let's go Echizen. Looks like we're going to be on the run for a while…damn cops are always on my case."

The night ended with the last of the fight members dispersing and Ryoma following after Atobe. He wasn't even sure if fight club was ever going to hold another meeting, especially with only twenty members left. When morning came, he found himself lying on Atobe's bed. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to remember what happened after they left the warehouse. Yawning, he stretched his arms and looked around the room. His gaze fell on Atobe who was staring out the window. There was a dark atmosphere around him, making him unapproachable. Ryoma swung his feet over the edge of bed and got off it. He almost didn't want to go near him. He looked to his right and noticed an extra wine glass on the end table. Last night came flooding back to him. He remembered following after Atobe and entering the mansion. He gripped his arm where Atobe had grabbed him last night and forcibly threw him on the bed. He remembered watching Atobe as he paced in his room, anger fuming around him, as he drank his wine. He didn't stop drinking and after his fifteenth glass, he was out of it. He was drunk and he didn't seem to care what kind of behavior he was showing. Ryoma glanced to the bed where he clearly remembered Atobe pushing him back onto the mattress and climbing on top of him. He never fought back, allowing Atobe to kiss him and rip his shirt off. However, Atobe fell asleep as soon as tossed the shirt aside and licked Ryoma on the neck. He didn't do anything else, except fall asleep. Ryoma remembered pushing Atobe aside and climbing out of bed where he took another wine glass and poured himself a glass and drank it before climbing back to bed to sleep.

"Is fight club falling apart?" asked Ryoma, breaking the silence in the room.

"No," answered Atobe, "I just have to find better members…ones who can protect themselves."

"Wha-"

Before Ryoma could finish his question, Atobe tossed him a newspaper. He picked it up and read the small headline, _Young Man Gunned down by Police_. Ryoma scanned the article and gritted his teeth together at the name in the article. Ohtori was killed by an off duty police for attacking him and trying to mug him in the middle of the night. Below that article was another one that had a familiar name. Kamio was killed in a freak car accident. The driver survived, but Kamio died on impact. Ryoma clenched the newspaper in his hand and then tossed it onto the floor. He started walking towards the door, opening it, only to stop.

"Kamio didn't die by accident. That car accident was probably revenge for yesterday night with that damn gang. Everything…it's falling apart. What are you going to do Atobe?" asked Ryoma.

"Fight club…will continue. We just have to weed out the weak members," said Atobe coldly.

"Is that an order?"

"If you want to think it is."

Ryoma scowled and slammed the door behind him. He went to his old room in the mansion and got ready. He dressed in new clothes and cleaned himself up. When he was walking out the front door, Atobe stopped him for a second.

"Don't be reckless," said Atobe before he turned away from Ryoma, "I won't be there to take you in if you get caught."

Cursing under his breath, Ryoma left the mansion and went back into the city. He roamed the streets for a bit, wondering if he would bump into Fuji, but he never did. After a while, he made his way to the first place they had use for fight club. He found the medium size shack and walked in. To his surprise, he found eight members there already. Two of them were fighting while the others were watching. Ryoma frowned and walked towards the circle.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" asked Ryoma.

"Ah, if it isn't our undefeated champion," said one of the men.

"We're fighting because with the stuff that's happening, we don't think that Atobe would be setting up another meeting any time soon," replied another.

"Idiots! You don't just decide to make your own mee-" Ryoma's words were cut short when he heard someone's footstep outside the shack.

He looked towards the closed entrance and noticed a shadow from underneath the door. He cursed silently to himself and started for the back door. He didn't even bother to tell the other members because he knew they probably would have time to talk. As soon as he reached the back door and swung it open, the front entrance was kicked open forcibly. The eight members tried to make a run for it, but the cops were already barging in. Ryoma made it out before they caught him and ran down the alley. He hid behind a wall and watched from behind it as a few members escaped. One of the men was running in his direction, but a cop was close behind him.

"Halt!" yelled the policeman.

The man didn't stop though. Instead, he secretly took out his own gun. The cop hadn't noticed, but another police officer behind him did. The police officer pulled his companion aside just as the fight club member shot. It missed them and hit the wall. The gunfire was a cue allowing the policemen to return fire. Ryoma hid himself again and went deeper into the alley. He was about to turn the corner when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Freeze! Don't move or I will shoot," said the policeman, "Turn around slowly with your hands behind your head."

Ryoma felt his body become cold at the voice. He closed his eyes tightly and did as he was told. He put his hand behind his head and turned slowly to face the policeman. He heard the policeman suck in a breath and he opened his eyes to look him in the eyes.

"Fuji," whispered Ryoma.

"I didn't think we would be facing each other so soon as enemies," Fuji said softly, "If you change your mind right now, I won't arrest you."

"Too bad…I'm not changing my mind."

When Fuji tipped his gun down and dropped his guard to approach him, Ryoma quickly squatted and grabbed a rock. He threw it, aiming it at Fuji's face. Fuji had blocked it, but in that brief second, Ryoma started running. He turned the corner, coming face to face with a fence. He could hear Fuji's voice close behind and growled quietly to himself. He climbed the fence quickly, hopping down and started running again. He didn't know how long he ran for, but Fuji's voice had disappeared and he couldn't hear his footsteps following after him. He made another turn and saw light at the end of the alley. He ran towards the light and found himself back on the main street in the city. There were a few stares, but he chose to ignore them. He started on his way to the other fight club meeting areas they went to in the past, but every one of them was surrounded by the police.

By nightfall, Ryoma had reached the last stop. He watched on silently from afar as another abandoned shack was investigated. He turned his back towards it and started walking back to Atobe's mansion. His world was falling apart and there wasn't anything he could do except watch. Lost in thought, he hadn't realized that there were a few cop cars in front of Atobe's mansion. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed it from the corner of his eyes. Shocked, he quickly ran and hid behind a bush in Atobe's front lawn. He sat there quietly and waited until the policemen came out. Among them was that one man who Fuji called Tezuka. He scowled at the sight of the man and hid deeper into the bush. Straining his ears, he tried to listen into their conversation as they passed by, but he didn't catch all of their conversation.

"…not…evidence…didn't…anything suspicious," said one of the policemen with Tezuka.

Sighing in relief, Ryoma closed his eyes and waited until he heard their engine start and the cars driving off. Even though the cars were gone, he waited a little while longer before crawling out of the bushes. He walked to the front door and slipped inside. The house seemed a lot quieter and more eerie than usual. Ryoma walked to the living room and found Atobe sitting on the red couch with a wine bottle in hand that was half way empty. Atobe took another swig of the wine straight from the wine bottle and that's when Ryoma knew Atobe wasn't himself again. He was drunk and he was probably angry while being frustrated. Sighing, Ryoma walked towards him and took the bottle out of his hand.

"I hate to admit it, but I think I like your egoistical, cocky attitude more than this pitiful you," said Ryoma as he set the wine bottle aside.

"First time you ever said you like me," said Atobe with a sideway smile, "Are you becoming soft hearted?"

"What about you? Are you becoming weak willed? The Atobe I knew wouldn't give up so easily. He wouldn't drown himself in alcohol. H would rather smirk and tell off anyone who stands up against him."

"Really? Hah, I wonder where it all came from…I think it's all over."

"Damn it, snap out of it!"

Ryoma raised his hand and slapped Atobe across the cheek, forming a red mark on his left cheek. Then he grabbed Atobe by the collar of his robe and shook him violently.

"It isn't over!" yelled Ryoma, "It's not fucking over. You can't end it like this. Damn it monkey king, this isn't like you. You always say that fight club would never end because there is always something evil in the heart of men. As long as you can pull that part out, fight club will never end. It's not over if the cops can't catch you. I overheard them. They said that they didn't have enough evidence on you to arrest you. That means it isn't over."

Atobe stared at him and then dropped his head, leaning it against Ryoma's shoulder. Hearing his even breathing, Ryoma thought he was asleep, but as he was about to push Atobe, the older man unexpectedly grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him onto the sofa underneath his body. Ryoma struggled to break free, but Atobe held him tightly in place.

"To think that one day I would be cheered up by this brat," mumbled Atobe, "I was wallowing in self-pity and frustration that I almost forgot why I ever created fight club in the first place. I never cared for those other members…fight club was a club for men to release their inner animal. The taste of violence, free from the restriction of society…ah, that's right…it was the reason why I made fight club."

Chuckling, Atobe removed himself from Ryoma and stood up. Ryoma watched in silence as he walked across the living room and closed the curtains.

"Tomorrow I shall have a new plan," said Atobe, "Tonight, you may sleep."

"Eight more members were caught," said Ryoma, "The police are investigating all the areas where he had our meetings."

"That much I knew. They even made a warrant for search, but they won't ever catch me. Go and rest now. You've done enough for today."

Standing up, Ryoma walked to the stairs. He was half way up the stairs when Atobe stopped him. He glanced down at Atobe who still had his back towards him. He was silent and Ryoma was getting a little annoyed that the older man wasn't saying anything. Giving an exasperated sigh, Ryoma turned his body to the side and leaned against the rail of the stairs.

"What?" asked Ryoma irritably.

"You love fight club don't you?" asked Atobe teasingly, "If you didn't, you wouldn't have tried so hard."

"I hate it…but it's the only way I know how to live right now."

Atobe laughed and he shook his head. The Atobe he knew was back and it was going to be annoying again. Rolling his eyes, Ryoma made his way back upstairs and stepped into his room. He flopped onto his bed and kicked his shoes off. He rolled onto his side and stared at the wall. Fuji's face appeared in his mind as he remembered what had happened earlier. Anger swelled inside him and he scowled at remembering him. He rolled onto his back and spread his arms and legs apart. He started to remember the nimble touches of Fuji's fingers, causing his body to react to the memory. Ryoma closed his eyes tightly and rolled onto his side again and shook the feeling off.

"Bastard," he muttered under his breath.

He exhaled slowly and calmed his body. Lately, he had sexual frustration and nothing could cure it, not even himself. He had gone to someone else, but it didn't feel right. Only Fuji felt right and he hated that. He tossed around in his bed and kicked his blankets away. He couldn't sleep. He was frustrated at himself and at Fuji.

Finally, he sat up and got out of bed. He walked to the glass door opening to a balcony. Stepping out into the cool night, he leaned against the rail and sighed. The past few weeks, he had been on the run from almost everything, people, Fuji, and his problems. Closing his eyes, he wondered just how long will he be on the run…


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-Fight! : Sex**

Whatever Atobe was doing, it kept him busy. Not even Ryoma could reach him and he found it suspicious. Immediately, his thoughts became pessimistic. He wondered briefly if Atobe had gotten caught by the police and he was being held. He wouldn't contact Ryoma or anyone else in the matter because he had too much pride to hold. Sighing, Ryoma rolled off the bed that he was using at Oshitari's house since Atobe had disappeared. He walked out of the room, slipping the phone into his back pocket. As he came out, he noticed that Oshitari had gone out, leaving behind a note on the counter top. It said something along the lines of leaving to look for Atobe. He crumpled the note up and tossed it away. He doubted that Oshitari would be able to find Atobe. If the man disappeared, he probably won't show up unless he wanted to be found. His thoughts returned to the idea that he may have gotten caught, but then shook his head and tossed the thought away. Atobe would never get caught. Ryoma paced around the house, but became bored instantly. Grunting to himself, he walked to the door and slipped on his shoes, deciding to leave the house for some fresh air.

He found himself at a small residential park. Sitting on one of the benches, he leaned back and relaxed until he heard a mewing from below him. Glancing down, he noticed a white cat with some gray features. He blinked at it and then slid off the bench, squatting before the cat. He held his hand out towards the cat, his palm facing up. Surprisingly, the cat walked towards him and rubbed its body against his hand. Smiling, Ryoma started petting it. He was enjoying his time along with the cat when a sudden shadow fell over him, scaring the cat away. It darted from his hands and disappeared into the nearby bushes. Ryoma looked up, wincing slightly from the light. At first all he saw was a black silhouette, but his eyes eventually adjusted to the lighting and he saw Momo standing before him. He blinked and then stood, taking a step back to give them some space.

"I didn't expect to see you again," said Momo.

"Yeah…" said Ryoma with a shrug.

"You guys…didn't come after me?"

"Have you read the newspaper? Everyone is getting caught. Fight club might be going down."

"But…I'm the only one alive from the group that tried to betray Atobe. I think…I'm still alive because of you."

"It's has nothing to do with me. You should get out of here before someone sees you talking to me."

"Why did you protect me?"

"I didn't protect you."

"Then how come I'm not dead yet!"

Silence fell over them as Ryoma gritted his teethes together. He glared at the other male teen and then sighed. There was no point in arguing with each other. Ryoma lifted one hand up, tilted his cap down and then stuffed his hands down the pockets of his pants. Hesitantly, he glanced up from under the tip of his hat. All he could see from there was Momo's chest.

"Because you were the only one closest to my age in the club…and the only friend I had that was close to my age," mumbled Ryoma with a slight flush on the face.

"…Why not leave fight club? If you don't have a place to go to, you can stay with me. My parents wouldn't mind. I think they'll love you," suggested Momo with a hopeful tone.

Ryoma shook his head, "No, I would only cause trouble for your folks and you. Besides, I can't live a normal life like you…I should go."

Turning around, Ryoma started walking away, but Momo called out his name, stopping him in his tracks. He didn't dare to turn and look because he feared that he would take up Momo's offer. Honestly, the idea of having a normal life appealed to him greatly, but he didn't have the courage to take that step. It was much easier to stay where he was currently.

"Will I see you again?" asked Momo.

Ryoma slightly turned his head to the side, but he never turned to look back at the other. He shook his head and started walking again. He didn't look back because this was where they had to part ways. Momo never belonged in that world and Ryoma was glad that he got out of it. Ryoma smiled slightly at the thought. As long as Momo got out of the fight club, then it felt as though he did too.

He didn't feel like returning to Oshitari's house or Atobe's, so he roamed the city once more, just like his old days. Of course there was a chance that he would meet Fuji, so he chose to roam the smaller, lesser busy streets. Stopping his wandering, he leaned against the rail of a bridge that overlooked the city. He hadn't even noticed that evening was setting in. The lights of the city turned on and it was almost like he was watching stars that had fallen to the ground. A cool breeze brushed across him, hinting at the smell of autumn. Soon, the leaves of the trees would turn orange and yellow. They'll fall from the boughs of the trees and cover the ground in their vibrant colors. It wouldn't be too long before winter comes around too. Sighing, Ryoma closed his eyes. The sound of the city felt far away all of sudden. An abrupt sound of glass breaking jolted him from his meditation. He turned around and looked to the floor where a pile of broken glass and tin cans laid. Without looking at the person, Ryoma walked over to help pick up the cans. Just as he was reaching out to pick one up, he noticed the hand that had reached for the other. His hand froze in midair as his gaze traveled up the hand, arm, and towards the face. It seemed that the other person had done the same because Ryoma had noticed the other person's hand had stop moving. He gulped and finally looked into those blue eyes.

"Echizen," whispered Fuji.

Ryoma swallowed slowly, but his throat had gone dry. He didn't want to see him yet because he wasn't ready to confront the older man. Ryoma quickly drew back, turning around quickly. He was ready to bolt in a run, but Fuji's hand wrapped around his arm before he could and tugged him backwards. Ryoma nearly tripped over his own feet, but balanced himself. He cursed to himself while trying to tug his arm away.

"Wai-wait! Would you at least let me explain myself?" asked Fuji.

"No. Why should I? You lied to me…and tried to use me," answered Ryoma angrily.

He yanked his arm free and started running, but it didn't take long for Fuji to catch up to him. The older man grabbed him once more, using his whole body to capture Ryoma. The moment Fuji grabbed him, Ryoma felt a shudder run through him. It had been a long time since he had been touched by Fuji and his body was reacting instinctively. Electricity course through his whole body as he let out a silent moan. The feel of the Fuji's breath against the nape of his skin caused him to give a shaky sigh. The way how Fuji's fingers glided across his abdomen was sensual, almost as though he was kissing his skin. How he wished that there weren't any clothes as barrier.

"Echizen," whispered Fuji against his right ear.

Ryoma tilted his head, reacting to the way how Fuji's lips traced down his earlobe and his neck. He could feel the warmth emitting from Fuji and suddenly, he remembered when Fuji had pushed him against the wall, the way their body slid together as though they were made for one another. He turned his head slightly, wanting to taste those sweet lips he had become addicted to. His body yearned for the older male.

"Come back with me," Fuji whispered tenderly.

Ryoma's eyes fluttered open at the statement. He snapped out of it and pushed himself away from Fuji. Shaking his head, he tried to pry himself away, but Fuji tightened his grip. He was lifted off the ground and then swung over Fuji's shoulder.

"Ugh, you! Put me down, you bastard!" yelled Ryoma as he kicked and flung his arms around, but Fuji never set him down.

He was carried back to Fuji's house, a place he never wanted to set foot in again. However, Fuji had forced him back, carried him inside the house, into the bedroom, and plopped him onto the bed. It squeaked under his weight as he landed on the mattress. Fuji hovered over him for a second before backing away. Ryoma sat up slowly and stared at the older man. Silence fell between them as they continued to look at one another. There was a calling. Something that was pulling Ryoma to Fuji. Maybe it was the heat he could still feel from Fuji's body from earlier, but his body was heating up. He could feel his face flush as Fuji took a step toward him. His lower region stirred as the bed squeaked again with the weight of Fuji's knee. It dipped to his weight and suddenly, everything that Ryoma wanted to say to Fuji— to yell at him, curse at him, and hit him – disappeared. Their lips clashed and their hunger for one another burst opened. Hunger burst through his body as he was pushed against the bed. He savored those sweet lips that ravaged his mouth, but it wasn't enough. His body hungered for more. Opening his eyes, he stared into those blue eyes that always looked as though they could see through him, into the very depths of his soul.

Cool hands roamed across his hot skin. Ryoma gasped at the sensation of it. His shirt was lifted partially as Fuji pressed his body close. The older man's head dipped and instantly, Ryoma was assaulted with Fuji's hot and wet tongue. He moaned inwardly at the feel of it as it traveled down his chest, to his abdomen, and finally to his hips. Ryoma twisted in pleasure, slightly thrusting his hips forward. He could feel Fuji's breath against his hips. He wanted more. There were some clinking noises and before Ryoma knew it, his jeans and boxers were tugged off and tossed aside onto the floor. Propping himself up on his elbows, he gazed down at Fuji who glanced back up at him. Lust filled eyes stared at him as Fuji dipped his head, taking his erect length into his mouth. Ryoma hissed at the sudden hotness enveloping him. He tossed his head back as Fuji's tongue expertly glided down his shaft and back up to flick at the opening of his cock. He groaned and felt his elbows tremble as Fuji took him whole, bobbing his head up and down.

"Does it feel good?" asked Fuji with his mouth full.

Ryoma nodded his head, unable to answer. A moan escaped his lips as Fuji sucked. His elbow gave way and he fell back onto the bed. His hips thrust forward, but Fuji held him down. He was close on edge, but before he could hit his climax, cold air blew against his erection. Ryoma whimpered and glared down at Fuji who was crawling his way back up. Their eyes met on equal level as Fuji pressed his body against his. Ryoma could feel the bulge in Fuji's pants and whined as it pressed against his needy member. He felt Fuji grab his hand and bring it over to cup his erection. Ryoma's eyes widened at the touch of it. He stared into those knowing blue eyes and a silent message was passed between them. He gulped and pushed his hand against Fuji's chest. Fuji willingly turned and lied on his back. Shakily, Ryoma sat up and straddled Fuji's hip for a second before turning his body and letting his cock hang over Fuji's face while he was brought face to face with Fuji's erection. He unzipped the pants and pulled it down along with Fuji's under garments. He felt the heat emitting from the erect member as he took it into his mouth. He moaned when he felt Fuji do the same to him. He wasn't sure how long he had been sucking, but he suddenly felt something prodding at his anal entrance. He let go of Fuji's cock with a plop as the digit enter his entrance and he let out a painful groan. It was painful at first, but by the time the second finger entered him, he was mewling in ecstasy. He felt Fuji's finger brush against his prostrate, causing a shudder to run down his spine. All of a sudden, he forgot about making Fuji feel good. His body was moving, thrusting down to meet with Fuji's fingers. He lost all sense of logic, returning to his animal instinct. All he wanted was to be fucked. He moaned and cried out. He felt his body build up and in a spur, he ejaculated. Ryoma released a low, throaty moan. The strength in his body scattered. His head rested against Fuji's thigh, giving him full view of Fuji's still aroused member. Feeling slightly guilty for being the only one to receive pleasure, Ryoma mustered his last strength and took Fuji back into his mouth. It didn't take long before the older man came inside him. Without a second thought, Ryoma drank every last bit of Fuji's seed. It was a bitter and salty taste, but he loved it. Sighing, he finally allowed his body to fall limp. Fuji pulled him up towards the pillows of the bed and gently laid him on the pillows. Strong arms wrapped around his body, lulling him to sleep.

Ryoma woke up startled. There was something heavy on top of him, so he tried to move it. He pushed the heavy object and sat up, only to realize that the heavy object had been Fuji's arm. He stared at the policeman in shock. A hand quickly covered his mouth as everything came rushing back to him. His ass was hurting, but nothing could be compared to the sudden shame in him. He had made out with an enemy. Slowly, he swung his feet over the side of the bed. Moments ago he had lost all logic, succumbing to the lusty needs of his body. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. His skin crawled with disgust at the action he had done, yet there was something bubbling inside his heart. It crept from the depths of it and overwhelmed him. Despite the disgust, there was a sense of completeness. He shuddered at the lovey feeling. It couldn't be true. He hadn't fallen for the man. Fuji was his enemy, the man who would bring down the world he lived in. He needed to stop it. He needed to stop Fuji from tearing down his world...and from falling even more. Ryoma got up from the bed, slipped on his jeans, and walked through the familiar house. He stepped into the kitchen and went straight to the drawers where the knives were located. Opening it, he took one out and stared at his reflection on it. Did he have the guts to do it though? Weeks ago, he had came crawling back to Fuji's house, shot and on the brink of death. The wound was healed, but there was still a scar. Still, he owed the man his life and yet he would return it with death. Ryoma gulped slowly. He had to do it. His logic was screaming at him to kill Fuji, but his emotions were churning, fighting against each other in a tumble of chaos.

"Are you going to kill me?" asked a familiar voice from behind him.

Ryoma froze in surprise. Slowly, he turned and faced Fuji who was standing by the kitchen doorway, fully naked. He couldn't answer. No, he didn't want to answer. He feared the reply that he would give the older man. His armed hand went limp and the knife fell from his hand, landing on the floor with a clank. He took a step back as Fuji took a step forward. He could feel the gaze of lust on his body. He could see how Fuji was devouring his body with his eyes and he wanted to be devoured. He wanted to be taken by Fuji and cry the other man's name loudly as he thrust deep inside him. Fuji was already a few inches away when he finally snapped back into reality. Fingers traced along the sides of his body. He shuddered and moaned as hot lips traced down his neck once more, nipping and sucking.

"Ryoma...come to me," whispered Fuji.

Ryoma gasped at the way how his name dripped from those sweet lips, the very same lips that had tasted his cock and marked his body with love bites. Shaking his head, he tried to push away. He couldn't fall into the trap. For all he knew, Fuji could just be using this as means to get to Atobe.

"Ryoma," whispered Fuji once more.

He gritted his teeth and with all his strength, pushed Fuji away. He ran pass him and opened the door. He could hear Fuji calling after him, but he shut his eyes and blocked out the voice. He ran to the only place he knew. He went back to Atobe. He didn't even know if Atobe would be there, but he still ran back, half naked and bare footed. Climbing over the gates, he sneaked in through the back and found himself walking through the house and up the stairs. He opened the door to Atobe's room and found him there with Oshitari wrapping his arm up with bandages. Atobe glanced over at him and with one glance, Ryoma could tell that Atobe knew what happened. He saw Atobe wave Oshitari away, which he did without questions. As soon as the door closed, Atobe waved him over.

"I leave you for a couple of days and this is what happens?" asked Atobe as Ryoma reached him, "Forced or consensual?"

"I...don't know," answered Ryoma.

Atobe opened his arms, "Come."

Ryoma slowly looked up at Atobe and then walked into his arms. Atobe wasn't hot like Fuji. He was slightly cold with just a bit of warmth, but it was still comforting. He remained like that for a few minutes, relaxing to the soothing touch of Atobe's hand as they ran through his hair. Ryoma's gaze fell on Atobe's arm. Curiosity got the better of him as he reached out to touch it.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"Hm? This injury? I was trying to sort things out with a certain group, but things didn't go as well as I wanted. Luckily Kabaji burst in and...well, let's just say their boss is in worst condition than I am," said Atobe, chuckling.

Ryoma winced at the thought. Kabaji was strong and he knew from witnessing it. Anyone who tried to hurt Atobe would be at the mercy of Kabaji's hands. After calming down, Ryoma pulled away from Atobe. He recollected composure and faced Atobe once more who was already sitting down on his red, throne-like chair.

"Do you love him?" asked Atobe, getting straight to the point.

Ryoma frowned and shook his head, "No...I don't know...yes, maybe? No, I don't love him. I hate him. I wanted to kill him."

"I once told you and hate was just another form of love. It's love...just a little distorted, that's all."

"Is that...no. I don't...I almost killed him."

"And it's good you didn't."

"Why?"

"If you killed Fuji, everything would have been pointed back to you and then it would be connected to me. So, it's a good thing you didn't kill him."

"I couldn't kill him."

"Because you love him."

"I lust for him."

Atobe arched a brow at his statement, but Ryoma didn't deny what he said. It was true. His body lusted for the policeman. He wanted him so bad that his body ached every night since they had last parted. Even now, his body was aching. He wanted to be touched again. He wanted to feel Fuji's tongue against his skin, the feel of his fingers drifting and gliding...and especially, he wanted Fuji to take him like he owned him.

"I didn't expect that," said Atobe.

"I didn't either," replied Ryoma.

He saw the other man smile. A slow, shiver coursed through his body at the sight of Atobe's smile. He saw the man spread his legs with a playful smirk on his face.

"Your body is aching for him," muttered Atobe softly, "It craves for him after tasting him. I can see it. Your flush body and the heat you're emitting...like a cat in heat. Whore."

"If I'm a whore, then you're worst than I am. Sleeping with all those women," spat Ryoma in a low growl.

Atobe chuckled, "True...do you want me to satisfy that craving?"

"No. Our bodies aren't compatible."

"I see you've come to realize that after confronting your emotions."

Ryoma remained silent. There wasn't any need to continue this conversation. He had said enough. He was about to turn to leave when Atobe stopped him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Atobe waving for him to come closer. Hesitantly, Ryoma turned on his heels and walked back to Atobe. He stiffened when Atobe leaned up, pressing a hand against his cheek. He felt cold lips brush against his temple.

Hot breaths blew against his ear as Atobe whispered into it, "If you return to that man...I'll kill you."

Ryoma trembled slightly, but nodded. He turned and left the room, finding Oshitari waiting by the door. He merely gave him the man a quick glance before heading to his room where he use to stay. The first thing he did as soon as he entered the room was going to the bathroom. He wanted to shower. If he could just get rid of heat, the feeling of Fuji's lips on his skin, maybe he wouldn't feel constrained. He took a cold shower, but even with the cold shower, his body was yearning for warmth. Sighing with frustration, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Still dripped wet and naked, he opened the bathroom door and walked into his room. He felt a presence and quickly turned to look at the door. Oshitari was leaning against the closed and locked door. Glaring at the him, Ryoma turned slowly to face him. Oshitari's glasses glinted from the light as he pushed it up with his finger.

"Your body...it's craving for something warm," said Oshitari, "If it isn't compatible with Atobe, why not try me?"

"I didn't know you swung that way," Ryoma said.

"I don't, but when Sengoku was still alive, he once told me how lusty your body can be. It piqued my curiosity."

Chuckling, Ryoma walked towards the king size bed and crawled onto it. He turned towards Oshitari and spread his legs wide, revealing a semi-hard cock. Licking his lips, he ran his fingers down his body, touching his semi-hard length before lifting his hips and playing with his ass.

"You want it? Come and get it," Ryoma said huskily.

As though on command, Oshitari walked towards him and pushed him down. His pants were already unzipped as he spread Ryoma's legs wider. The other man didn't even prepare him as he pushed his erect cock into Ryoma without warning. Ryoma hissed as Oshitari thrust into him hard. Somehow, the pain elicited a moan from Ryoma. The bed creaked under the force of Oshitari thrusting into him. The headboard pounded against the wall as Oshitari continued his rough invasion. It was a rough and painful sex. No love, no passion, just plain sex. He wasn't even sure how long it lasted, but by the time he came to, Oshitari was pulling his pants up.

"I agree with Sengoku," said Oshitari amusingly, "Your body is lustful. Your body is a sin to be able to lure men like that."

"Are you saying I seduced you?" asked Ryoma.

"Maybe."

Ryoma sat up slowly, wincing as the pain from the rough sex started kicking in. Oshitari was long gone by the time he knew there was someone else in the room and his body had cooled. He looked over his shoulder to see Atobe leaning against the doorway.

"You here to have a go at me too?" asked Ryoma sarcastically.

"No thanks. You're quite dirty enough," replied Atobe.

"And who made me like that?"

"Are you blaming me?"

"I don't know, am I? You did pick me off the streets and decided to bring me into this world."

"But I never taught you to be a slut."

"Really? After seeing you make out with women like it was just a part of your daily life, you're saying you never taught me."

"Difference...I slept with women, you slept with men."

"Sex is the same thing, be it women or men."

Atobe chuckled, "Is your body cooling down?"

"After the pain he caused me? Hell yes," answered Ryoma with a huff.

"Good, now get your ass out of bed because tonight we're having the fight club here."

"What?"

"Like I said, we're-"

"I got that. What I don't get is why are you holding the meeting here? Aren't you afraid the police are going to come here and find out?"

"They came once and found nothing. They're probably thinking that I might be too afraid to hold the fight club here after they came to investigate, so they probably won't come back...at least, not for a while. So, I'm going to make the best of it. By the way, you're a masochist."

"Shut up."

"Get down here in thirty minutes," Atobe commanded before leaving.

Ryoma watched as Atobe left. He turned his gaze to the balcony and stared out at the night sky. Fuji briefly came back into his mind and his body quivered, remembering his touch. He wasn't over the older man's sensual touches, but he wasn't going to act on his animal instinct on sex anymore. He's done enough and he paid for it. No one could satisfy his thirst anymore. Not even sex with Oshitari was enough. Only Fuji could, but who knew when he would ever see him again.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for this late update! I got lazy and then I got busy and then I got lazy again. So, there are quite of a bit of lemon in this chapter, haha (as an apology for my late update). Now many you might think Ryoma is a slut. XD But really, he's not! Blame the world that Atobe brought him into. Anyways, things will change up a little. I wanted to have some sexual tension between Fuji and Ryoma, so this was...sort of a test chapter to see if I could get it down. DX Didn't quite turn out as I wanted, but yeah. Starting in the next chapter and maybe a few...you probably won't be seeing any Fuji and Ryoma interaction. I wanted to develop Ryoma more as a character as he comes to term with his feelings. Atobe will play a role and you'll see how Atobe isn't such a bad guy (if any you think that). So, look forward to more updates. I'm on Summer vacation now, so I have plenty of time to continue writing. Thanks for reading and staying loyal to this fanfiction even though updates can be slow. Please review too. I might update faster if I have more reviews. :D


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence

Be warned: This chapter will have lemon in it.

**Ready-Fight! : Getting Away with It**

In thirty minutes, Ryoma was dressed and walking down the stairs. He stopped briefly on the stairs as he noticed how many men were in the living room. He arched a brow and slowly descended the stairs as he scanned the room filled with rough looking men. Among the men, he only recognized three men, Oshitari, Sanada, and Kabaji. They were probably the only men left from the original fight club. As he reached the group, he eyed Atobe who had placed himself in the center of the circle as usual. Their eyes locked and Atobe smirked at him. It felt like déjà vu to Ryoma. He watched in silence as Atobe raised his right hand and snapped his fingers loudly. It echoed in the quiet room, catching the attention of the men.

"Welcome gentlemen," he greeted in a loud voice, "to the fight club. Let your animal instincts spur you on in this world. There are no rules of society here. Entertain yourself in bloody battles…even to the death if you must. Indulge yourself in sexual pleasure and drugs, however, I do not allow kidnapping young girls…or boys if that is your preference. It attracts too much attention. Have fun with each other…but never speak a word of it and I promise you your lives will be safe. Shall we begin? I want to introduce my undefeated champion…he's remain at the top since he first began."

Atobe waved a hand at him, motioning for him to enter the center. Ryoma grumbled to himself. He didn't want to be in the spotlight, but it seemed that Atobe wasn't letting him off. Growling, he forced himself to walk towards Atobe and stand beside him. All eyes fell on him. His skin prickled at the gazes of the men. He could feel the lust for blood in the air. They were different from the men that joined the first time. Hesitantly, Ryoma glanced up to Atobe, but the other man didn't seem to care.

"This is Ryoma Echizen," said Atobe, introducing him to the men, "Don't be too rough with him. He can get…_feisty_."

Ryoma glanced up at Atobe and glared at him. He did not like the word that Atobe gave him. Feisty seemed too sex related or maybe that was just him thinking like that. He turned back to look at the men, but realized that he wasn't the only one thinking that. He could see the men smirking at him. He could tell they wanted a piece of his ass. Ryoma didn't like the looks of it. It seemed he was going to have some troubles from now on. Shifting on his feet, he looked away and tuned out Atobe who continued his introduction speech. It took about another ten minutes before he was done and shooed Ryoma away. Tonight was just the opening speech and introductions of each man. There would be no fighting tonight. However, after introducing themselves, Atobe allowed them to mingle. Ryoma guessed it was to allow them to get to know each other, but mostly for Atobe to assess them. He silently walked over to him and nudged him on the rib. Atobe glanced down at him and arched a questioning brow.

"Where the hell did you find these men?" hissed Ryoma.

"Remember when you asked why I was injured?" asked Atobe with a smile, "Let's just say…I stole

some guys."

"You recruited gang members?"

"They're not gang members anymore."

"And their boss?"

"Six feet under the ground."

Ryoma rolled his eyes at the answer. He wasn't surprise at the outcome. When Atobe wanted something, he got it, no matter the stakes. Shrugging, Ryoma wandered back to the stairs. If he wasn't needed anymore, then he was going to return to his room. Walking back up the stairs, he almost made it back to his room when he noticed someone following him. Cursing to himself, he turned and faced the man. Before he could even confront the man, Ryoma was pushed against the wall. His head bang against it with a loud thud. Hissing, Ryoma gritted his teeth together and tried to push the stranger away, but the man pushed him harder against the wall. Groaning, Ryoma let the older man grind his hips against him. It wasn't a turn on, especially when the other man reeked of alcohol. He was panting and moaning while trying to whisper dirty words into Ryoma's ear. Ryoma was planning to let the man do whatever he wanted until he ejaculated, but when he felt the hands of the man grip his ass and massage it, he snapped. Ryome reached down, grabbed the man by his cock, and gripped it tightly until he heard a hiss of pain from the other.

Smiling, Ryoma tipped on his toes and whispered to the man, "If you try that again, I swear this horny dick of yours won't be able to make babies…maybe it won't even be attach to you."

He tightened his grip until the man was whimpering and begging him to let go. Releasing his grip, the man took off in a run and went back downstairs. It would also seem that tonight he was running into many perverts. Groaning to himself, he returned to his room and stripped off his clothes. He changed into a pair of pajama pants and a grey v-neck shirt. Walking to the mirror, he stared at his reflection. His eyes were puffy from the lack of sleep. Ryoma rubbed his eyes and then sighed. He was exhausted. He wasn't surprise that he was though. He had just dealt with meeting up with Fuji again, only to end up in his bed, then there was Oshitari who fucked him, and then fight club coming back all of sudden and that man who nearly raped him. It was a lot to take in at once. Dropping his hands back to his side, he looked at his reflection. His hair was a mess now. Shaking his head, he turned on his heels, returning to his bedroom. He flopped onto his bed and sighed. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep, but it was barely ten minutes before he was woken up to the sound of knocking.

Ryoma groaned as he sat up. He could still hear the men downstairs. Frowning, he briefly wondered if it was the man from earlier. Cautiously, Ryoma got up from the bed and shuffled to the door. He placed a hand on the locked doorknob and pressed his body against it. Taking in a breath, he took a step back and swung the door open. However, the person standing before him wasn't the man from before, but Atobe.

Arching a brow at the other, Ryoma asked grouchily, "What?"

Atobe chuckled at his reaction. "Someone isn't in a happy mood," he said.

"No, 'course not. I was sleeping."

"You were? After I risked my life to bring fight club back."

"The men out there are all idiots. I don't like them and I don't see any potential. They'll just put fight club in trouble."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because they're gangsters. They aren't interesting and they might fight outside of fight club."

"I don't think they will."

"What did you come here for?"

"Can't I visit my little prodigy?"

"No."

"Not even if I'm going to tell you why fight club won't get caught?"

Ryoma stared at Atobe, slowly glaring at him. Finally, he took a side step and allowed him inside. He didn't understand why Atobe would tell him. He was about to close the door, but another man stepped inside. Ryoma raised a brow and glanced to Atobe, but Atobe waved him inside. Reluctantly, Ryoma let him in and then closed the door. He walked over to the bed where Atobe was sitting and plopped himself beside the older man. Ryoma brought his gaze to the stranger who had entered into his room as well. The other man had light brown hair and wrapped around his arms were bandages. Ryoma stared at the bandages for a while before bringing his gaze to Atobe.

"Who is this?" he asked slowly.

"This is Kuranosuke Shiraishi," answered Atobe coolly.

Ryoma waited for any further explanation, but nothing came. He blinked and turned his head to face the other man again. He was different from the other men downstairs. He felt more sophisticated, but he also had a very similar aura to a certain someone that he didn't want to think about at the moment.

Scowling, Ryoma glanced back to Atobe, "Who the hell is he?"

"I told you," replied Atobe amusingly.

"I mean, why is he...different?"

Atobe smiled at him and waved a hand to Shiraishi again. "This man, Echizen, is the key to keeping out fight club safe," said Atobe with a wicked smile.

"What?" muttered Ryoma.

"Kuranosuke Shiraishi is a cop. He's a dirty cop though. He's here to help warn us about any investigation on me and in return, I give him drugs," Atobe said.

"And what if he is lying to you?" hissed Ryoma in a low voice.

Seeing Atobe's smile to his question made his stomach turn. He didn't like the look of it. It made him more suspicious when Atobe told Shiraishi to leave the room. Ryoma watched carefully as the other man left the room, leaving him and Atobe alone. Ryoma turned his attention back to Atobe. He knew he wasn't going to like the news.

"Well Echizen...this is where you come in," stated Atobe.

"Where I come in?" asked Ryoma.

"Yes."

"...you...you want me to _seduce_ him?"

"Uh huh."

"No! Why the fuck would I want to seduce that guy?"

"It's all for fight club. Seduce him and get him to spill if he's really here for that reason...or if he's just trying to trick us. If it turns out that he's faking, we'll just kill him."

"Right, and then get ourselves caught by the fuzz."

"No we won't. Have I ever lost to them before?"

"No."

"Then this won't be any different. So, do your job Echizen."

Huffing, Ryoma agreed, though unwillingly. He didn't want to get involved with Shiraishi, but if it was for the fight club, then he would have to. Sighing, he flopped back onto his bed, ready to sleep again, but Atobe was nudging him awake again. Growling out a what to Atobe, he heard the other man chuckling.

"No time to sleep little brat," said Atobe, "You have to start today."

Groaning, Ryoma sat up and slid off the bed. He walked Atobe to the door, opened it, and watched Atobe leave.

Atobe stopped by the stairs and pointed to Shiraishi, "Stay with Echizen. He'll show you the ropes."

Ryoma grumbled under his breath, cursing mentally at Atobe. He really wanted to punch Atobe, but he kenw that it wasn't a good idea. Turning slightly, he face Shiraishi and then sighed again. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Six months had passed since fight club was remade. There were meetings every now and then, but due to Shiraishi's warnings, they had to stop for a while. Since then as well, Ryoma had been trying to get close to the other man, however Shiraishi was proving to be hard. Ryoma was sure the man was bisexual, but Shiraishi never showed a bit of interest in him. It was strange since there were plenty of other men that always chased after him. However, with Atobe constantly pestering him, Ryoma couldn't give up. At the moment, he was over at Shiraishi's apartment. He had been visiting the other man for two months now, but there hadn't been any progress. He needed to make his move fast. Shiraishi was cooking dinner for them while he was sitting by the table and watching television. He glanced over to Shiraishi's back, wondering how to get the man to fall for him. With an idea in mind, Ryoma stood from the floor and walked over to the other.

He leaned against the other and smiled innocently, "Hey, I'm sticky. I want to shower, but I didn't bring any extra clothes. Do you have something I can borrow?"

Shiraishi gave him a quick glance and then nodded, "Yeah. I'll get it for you after we eat dinner."

"'kay."

After dinner, Shiraishi handed him a shirt and a pair of pajamas. Taking the clothes, Ryoma thanked him. He headed for the bathroom, closing the door after he entered it. He took a quick shower, just enough to wet his body and hair. Stepping out of the shower, he slipped on the shirt, examining himself in the mirror. The shirt hung loosely on him. Ryoma adjusted the shirt, making sure that one side hung on his shoulder. The shirt was long enough to cover his lower region and part of thighs. Grabbing the pajamas, he checked it by slipping it on. It was a little loose on him, but it was a good reason to not wear it. Taking the pajamas off, Ryoma folded it and stepped out of the bathroom with his hair still dripping wet. The droplets wet the white shirt, making it cling to his skin and see through. It was the perfect plan to seduce Shiraishi.

As he walked to the front room, he found Shiraishi sitting against the able, reading a book. Ryoma, purposely, strolled to Shiraishi shyly. Clearing his throat, he got the other man's attention. He watched Shiraishi's expression closely. At first he didn't notice anything, but for a quick second, Ryoma noticed Shiraishi look down at his exposed thighs. Mentally, Ryoma smirked. He had gotten the sign. Shiraishi was interested in him, but compared to most, he had better control.

Since he knew that Shiraishi was interested, all he had to do was make his move. He sat down besides Shiraishi, placing the pajama on top of the table. "It was a little bit loose," whispered Ryoma.

"Oh," mumbled Shiraishi as he tried to keep his gaze away.

Ryoma purposely made sure that the shirt was rising higher on his thighs. He shifted closer to the other man, placing a hand on his arm. When Shiraishi glanced down at him, Ryoma looked up at him and gave him a small smile. He shifted his legs, making his shirt rise higher. He noticed Shiraishi gulp slowly. He just needed to push the other man a little more.

"Shiraishi," he whispered, "I want...you."

His words had worked. Shiraishi's eyes widened and within a few seconds, his lips were sucking on Ryoma's neck. Pushed to the floor, he raised his hands to let Shiraishi remove the shirt. Ryoma saw the shirt tossed aside, but his view was covered when Shiraishi leaned over him without a shirt on. Ryoma wrapped his arms around Shiraishi's neck, bringing him down for a kiss. Opening his mouth, he let the older man's tongue enter his mouth. Their tongue danced, sliding and sucking. Cools hands ran down his bodies, causing him to break away from the kiss. Ryoma let out a small moan as he felt Shiraishi's hand grip around his semi-hard cock. Slowly, he felt Shiraishi's hand pump his length. Mewling noises escaped his lips as he arched his back towards the other. He couldn't help, but mentally compliment the man's techniques.

Lips latched onto his neck again, making him release a throaty moan. His legs spread wider to allow better access to his aching erection. A warm tongue swirled around his nipples, sucking and nipping every now and then. Ryoma sighed, wanting more. It was the first time since Fuji that he was actually enjoying sex. He sighed again, contently, as Shiraishi's tongue traveled down his abdomen. Sucking in a breath, he felt the man's hot mouth take his erection whole.

"Ahh," moaned Ryoma, "Yes...Shi-Shiraishi..."

However, it didn't last long. Cold air brushed against his weeping cock, causing him to whimper. He wanted Shiraishi's hot mouth again. Thrusting his hips forward, he was prevent from entering when Shiraishi pushed his hips down. Glancing down, Ryoma frowned at him. There was a grin on the other man's face when he looked down.

"I want you to say...please, Mr. Policeman, I want you to lick me," Shiraishi whispered huskily.

Ryoma growled, "You've got to be kidding me!"

"It's fine if you don't want me to."

Ryoma huffed and then scowled. He didn't want to say it, but his erection was aching for some more. Succumbing to the needs of his body, Ryoma muttered out embarrassingly, "Pl-please, Mr.. Policeman...I want you...to l-lick me."

Gasping, Ryoma felt Shiraishi suck him once more, letting his tongue swirl around the tip and then bobbing his head down to take all of Ryoma's length into his mouth. Moaning, Ryoma tossed his head back. He could feel Shiraishi's throat closing around the tip of his erect manhood. It nearly caused him to go over the edge, but he held back. Suddenly, cool air hit him again. Scowling, Ryoma was about to glare at Shiraishi again, but he was stopped shortly when he felt something warm and wet press against his anus. Ryoma's eyes widened as he realized what Shiraishi was doing. His butt cheeks were being spread and then Shiraishi's tongue ran along the edge of his hole.

"Nnnn...ah, you've...ah! You've gotta be kidd-nn-ing me," moaned Ryoma as he writhed in pleasure.

Shiraishi continued to lick the edges of his entrance before sliding his tongue inside. Ryoma let out a mixed moan and groan. It was intense, feeling something hot and wet inside him while swirling around.

"Oh...go- Shiraishi! Stop teasing me!" Ryoma pleaded,

Shiraishi removed his tongue and chuckled, "I need you to tell me something again Ryoma...you should already know."

"Un...ah...please, oh god, please! Mr. Policeman, please take me!"

He didn't have to look at Shiraishi to know that the man was smiling. He heard a click, but paid no attention to it. All he wanted was for Shiraishi to enter him. It was a few seconds later when he felt Shiraishi's erection press against his hole. He hissed in pain as Shiraishi entered slowly. He hadn't realize how large the older man was. It took all his concentration to adjust to Shiraishi's large cock. After a few more pushes, Shiraishi was all the way inside him. Ryoma panted heavily, trying to relax his muscles. A few tears rolled down the side of his face as he relaxed and adjusted himself. When the pain subsided, he nodded his head to Shiraishi to let the man begin.

Shiraishi started to slowly thrust into him. It was a gentle and slow rhythm, but eventually, Shiraishi started to thrust faster. Suddenly, his legs were pulled and placed over the other man's shoulder. As Shiraishi thrust downward into him, Ryoma felt a spark course through his body, causing his body to spasm. The slow thrusting became erratic as it thrust into his sweet spot over and over. Ryoma's head was going blank as Shiraishi pounded into him. With every thrust, a moan left his mouth. He didn't care of the neighbors heard anymore. Ryoma was moaning loudly until his voice became hoarse.

"Shi-ahh! Shiraishi! More...ungh, more," he pleaded desperately.

Ryoma felt his his lower body clench. He gritted his teeth together then released a gasp as he felt his climax coming. He warned Shiraishi just a few seconds ahead before he climax, spilling his seeds over his chest. Panting, Ryoma went limp, letting Shiraishi thrust into him a few more times before he ejaculated inside him. Shiraishi fell on top of him with exhaustion. Sweat beaded down their skin as they tried to catch their breath. Five minutes passed before Shiraishi slipped himself out of Ryoma and rolled onto his back. Tiredly, Ryoma lifted himself up and crawled closer to Shiraishi, laying his head down on Shiraishi's chest. He splayed his hand across the other's chest, drawing small circles around his chest.

"Shiraishi," muttered Ryoma as he looked up at the man.

"Hm?" replied Shiraishi tiredly.

"...you're not...lying to me are you?" asked Ryoma.

"Lying to you? About what?"

"About...joining fight club and all."

"Why would I lie about that?"

Ryoma sat up a little to have a better view at the other man. He looked away in guilt and sat up completely. A pair of hand suddenly snaked around his waist. He looked to the side and found Shiraishi resting his chin on his shoulder. Ryoma tilted his head slightly, moaning lightly as Shiraishi nipped his neck.

"I won't betray you," whispered Shiraishi, "I won't ever hurt you. I'm not lying. I really joined fight club to get the drugs and I'm helping Atobe too. You're safe. Believe me...when I first saw you, I fell for you right away. I've always...wanted to do this."

Smiling, Ryoma turned around and hugged Shiraishi, "I'm glad you're on our side. Don't ever...betray me okay?"

"Anything for you."

Ryoma smiled to himself. Shiraishi was dancing in the palm of his hands. All he had to do was report to Atobe that they were safe with Shiraishi around. Everything was better again. Fight club wasn't going to end which meant his life was going to remain the same. Sighing, he crawled over Shiraishi's lap and straddled him. Gazing at him, Ryoma tipped his head down and kissed him, nipping Shirsiahi's bottom's lips before licking it slowly. He felt something hard poking him and glanced down to see Shiraishi hard again. Smirking, Ryoma pressed his chest against the other.

Nipping Shiraishi's earlobe, Ryoma whispered lustily, "Ready for another round?"

Shiraishi growled and pushed him to the floor again. Although Ryoma had already finished what he was suppose to do, he didn't mind sleeping with Shiraishi again.

By the time he had woken up, his back and hips were aching. Ryoma sat up groggily, looking down to find Shiraishi still asleep. He had to admit that Shiraishi was great in bed. It was probably something he could get addicted to.

Leaning over the older man, Ryoma kissed him gently, whispering against his lips, "I have to go."

He heard Shiraishi mumble, but it was incoherent. Getting up, he quickly dressed himself and led himself out the door. Walking down the stairs, he noticed the landlady sweeping below. As he continued to descend, his gaze met with the her and she froze on the spot. Ryoma glanced away and continued walking. However, as soon as he reached the ground and started walking in the direction of Atobe's house, he heard the landlady mutter.

"How disgusting," muttered the landlady, "Corrupting the sweet Shiraishi like that."

Smirking, Ryoma ignored her. He knew something far darker that she did. Shiraishi was not exactly the sweet man that she thought he was. After all, Shiraishi was in the fight club for the drugs. The man was corrupted from the beginning, so there was no need to blame himself for dirtying him.

The moment he reached Atobe's house, he found him sitting in his hot tub. Ryoma grimaced at the sight of the hot tub. It was bringing back bad memories. Sighing, he plopped himself in a chair from across the hot tub. He watched as the older man sipped quietly on his wine. Leaning back on the chair, he looked up at the sky. A cool breeze rustled his hair. Ryoma shivered at the coldness and looked back to Atobe. Winter was coming soon, but he was still able to sit in his hot tub outside. Shifting in his seat, Ryoma tilted his head down. He watched his feet to swing back and forth in a childlike manner.

"Will you stop that?" asked Atobe, annoyed by Ryoma's swinging feet.

Glancing back to Atobe, Ryoma smirked. Just to spite him, Ryoma continued swinging him. Hearing a slow growling from Atobe, Ryoma stopped. He stood and walked around the tub so that he was sitting near Atobe. He leaned down and whispered, "Guess what?"

"What?" replied Atobe with a slight annoyance in his tone.

"I successfully got Shiraishi to squeal," answered Ryoma.

Atobe's hand twitched the response. Smiling, he watched as Atobe turned his head slowly. Their gaze met. Staring at each other in silence, Atobe suddenly smiled at him.

"And? What did he say?" asked Atobe.

"He's really in it for the drugs," replied Ryoma in a bored tone while sitting down onto the cold cement floor.

"How do you know if he's not lying?"

"Well, I asked him not to betray me...he seems to be really infatuated with me."

"Really now?"

"Uh-huh."

Atobe nodded at him, sipping his wine again. Ryoma waited beside him, waiting for some other command, but it seemed the news was good enough for him. He could see Atobe glowing with confidence after hearing the good news. With his job done, Ryoma got up to leave again, but a wet hand reached out and pulled him back to sit down. Glancing down to Atobe, Ryoma tilted his head. "What is it?" asked Ryoma.

"You're free from spending time with Shiraishi," said Atobe, "But why do I get the feeling that you're going to go back to him?"

Ryoma froze at the question. He hadn't realized it himself, but in his mind he was actually going to go back to Shiraishi's apartment. Pulling his hand away from Atobe, Ryoma looked away. It wasn't as though he felt anything for Shiraishi, but somehow he had gotten use to his presence by him. Even if it wasn't love, he actually wanted to be by Shiraishi's side. The question's heavy tension lingered in the air between the two until Atobe broke it.

"If it was me in your position...I would rather choose Fuji over Shiraishi," said Atobe as he finsihed drinking his wine.

Ryoma blinked at Atobe's response. Then he glared at Atobe, "Fuji is...the guy trying to destroy fight club. Why would I choose him?"

"Because that guy isn't corrupted like Shiraishi. Fuji is...a follower of societal rules," Atobe said coolly.

"I thought you hated men like that."

"I do."

"Then why would you choose Fuji."

"I'm not saying that I would choose Fuji." Atobe stopped, letting silence fall between them. He took in a breath, then turned to face Ryoma, "I'm saying you should choose Fuji."

Ryoma stared at Atobe in confusion. He didn't understand why Atobe would tell him to choose Fuji all of sudden. One moment he was telling him to avoid Fuji, now he was saying he should pick Fuji. Scowling, Ryoma stood up abruptly. He wasn't going to choose Fuji. That man had done enough, nearly breaking his world. Shaking his head, Ryoma turned to leave.

"If you weren't in fight club...Fuji would be the better choice," yelled out Atobe.

Ryoma stopped in his tracks. He turned to look back at him, but as soon as he turned back, he was staring at the back of Atobe's head. Staring at him, Ryoma almost felt as though Atobe was telling him to leave fight club. However, because he couldn't see Atobe's expression, he didn't know what the other man was thinking. Ryoma shifted on his feet uncomfortably. He didn't understand...he didn't understand what he felt for Fuji. One moment he liked Fuji, but then the next he hated him. Fuji was hard to read as well, so Ryoma could never take control of the situation when it was just the two of them and he disliked not having control. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Ryoma turned again to leave. Just thinking about Fuji hurt him. He was betrayed and used. He wanted nothing to do with him anymore. At least with Shiraishi, they had a common ground, but him and Fuji were nothing alike. Fuji was a man of society. He followed the rules and caught the bad guys. He didn't kill people unless forced to shoot and defend. Ryoma was different. He fought for pleasure, for excitement, even out of boredom, and especially because he had to to survive.

"But I am in fight club," said Ryoma. "Atobe...with Shiraishi, if I'm with him, I can keep him in check. That way...fight club will go undetected. We're going to get away with it."

"Getting away with it..." repeated Atobe, "Of course."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It may contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence. Please review.

**Ready-Fight! :** **Shiraishi**

The days had turned chilly. The leaves had fallen and all that was left were the empty branches and boughs of the trees. Winter was here. Ryoma sat in the cozy studio room apartment that belonged to Shiraishi as he stared out the window that gave him a view of the street. It was an empty street, but the morning mist gave the neighborhood a mystical feel. Blinking, he turned around, pressing his back against the wall as he let his gaze fall on Shiraishi who was preparing some hot chocolate for them. Two weeks had already passed since he spoke to Atobe about Shiraishi. Since then, he had found himself spending almost every day with the policeman.

He was in a daze when Shiraishi's gaze locked with his. Bringing his focus back to the other man, Ryoma smile slightly. He watched as Shiraishi walked over to the small table on the floor. He placed the cups of hot chocolate onto the table and waved for Ryoma to come over to him. Obeying, Ryoma crawled over to him. He plopped himself between Shiraishi's legs and snuggled into him, pressing his back against the other's chest. Ryoma felt Shiraishi's arms wrap around his waist. There was a light weight pressing on his shoulder, causing him to tilt his head slight. He glanced from the corner of his eyes and noticed that Shiraishi was resting his chin on his shoulder. Picking up one of the cups, Ryoma adjusted himself to a more comfortable position. Sipping the hot chocolate quietly, he watched the new on the television. They were busily watching the television when Ryoma's phone rang. Reaching over to grab his phone, Ryoma checked the text message.

"Who is it?" asked Shiraishi as he placed his chin on Ryoma's shoulder.

"Atobe," answered Ryoma. Putting his cup back onto the table, he shifted and turned around while getting up on his knees. Straddling Shiraishi's lap, he wrapped his arms around him. "Just asking where I am...he should know by now."

Shiraishi smiled at him, giving him a quick kiss. "Oh, you should pass this message along to Atobe. Because there hasn't been any movement from the fight club in a while, the police force is starting to get suspicious. They're going to get a warrant to search Atobe's house again."

"When?" asked Ryoma, nipping at Shiraishi's bottom lips.

"Not sure yet. I'll let you know when I find out."

Nodding his head, Ryoma rolled off Shiraishi. He crawled over to the futon and lied down. Shiraishi joined him a few minutes later, lying beside him. Turning to lie on his side, Ryoma reached up and touched Shiraishi's cheek with his hand. He was never the type to be lovey dovey, but being with Shiraishi always put his heart at a sense of peace. Though there were times when Ryoma did want his heart to be pulled and tugged with excitement, for the moment he enjoyed being with Shiraishi and having that sense of peace. However, as he pondered on it, his thoughts lingered to Fuji. There were also times when he felt at peace with the other policeman. Fuji had a way to make his heart flutter, to flip, and make him anxious. Fuji's presence made him feel many things...things that he rather not dwell on.

"What's wrong? You're frowning," said Shiraishi as he touched Ryoma's hand.

Blinking, Ryoma's gaze focused on Shiraishi again. "Ah, sorry...I was thinking," he mumbled.

"About?"

"Things...like if we'll ever get caught."

"I won't let you get caught. As long as I'm by your side, you won't ever get caught. I'll protect you."

Ryoma frowned slightly. He didn't like lying to Shiraishi, but if he told Shiraishi that he was thinking of another man, he wasn't sure what the outcome would be. Snuggling closer, he felt Shiraishi's warm and strong arms wrap around him in an embrace. Suddenly, he remembered when Fuji had hugged him. So tightly had Fuji hugged him, it almost felt as though Ryoma was the only one in his eyes, but Ryoma knew better because in the end, Fuji had used him. Unknowingly, Ryoma had trusted him and in return, he was betrayed. Memories could not make him forgive Fuji.

"Everything is okay," whispered Shiraishi soothingly as he ran his fingers through Ryoma's hair.

If there was one thing that Ryoma loved about Shiraishi, it was the fact that he always knew when Ryoma was troubled. Ryoma shook his head, pressing his body close to the warmth of Shiraishi. With Shiraishi's soft cooing, Ryoma found himself falling asleep. Like a lullaby, Shiraishi's fingers running through his hair put him as ease. Slowly, he relaxed, forgetting all his worries about Fuji. He allowed slumber to take over his body and fell into the darkness of the abyss.

When he woke up, he wasn't in Shiraishi's house. Puzzled, Ryoma sat up in bed and gasped in shock at the familiar surroundings. There was the same dresser that he was use to seeing along with those familiar white ceilings. The smell of coffee drifted through the house; the same coffee that Fuji loved to drink. He was in Fuji's bed again with the scent of Fuji lingering on his clothes. He shuddered at the thought of Fuji's scent on him. It was so animal-like to have the smell of another male on him as though Fuji was claiming him as his mate.

Scared of the thought of belonging to another, Ryoma got out of bed. He ran out the door and through the hallway he was once accustomed to. As soon as he stepped into the living, he was blinded by white light. Lifting his hands, he shaded his eyes from the light. Squinting, Ryoma took a step forward. The sound of a piano enveloped him. Blinking away the light, his eyes adjusted and he found himself staring at Fuji's back. Beside Fuji, was himself. It was a memory...a memory of when he use to live with Fuji. Fuji had brought a grand piano into the house and he was teaching him how to play.

The music was suddenly mixed with the sound of laughter. Ryoma's heart clenched at the sound of it. He could never laugh like that, but the image of himself sitting before him was laughing along with Fuji. It wasn't a memory anymore. It was a dream, a dream of a life that Ryoma could never have. If only he lived a normal life, with parents that took care of him, going to school properly, and having friends like Momo, maybe he could have been like that with Fuji. Sighing shakily, the scene before him vanished. Eyes widening, Ryoma reached out to touch it, but was met with a pair of hands holding his wrist. The hands traveled up and wrapped around neck. He was being embraced from behind. Fromt he contour of the body pressing against his back, he knew who it was.

There was a whisper against his ear, "What comes after night has fallen? Daylight right? A shadow cannot be without light...where there is darkness, there is light and the only one that can beat it is you and this..."

The hands rested against his chest where his heart was located. Ryoma remembered those words clearly. Fuji had once spoken those words to him when he had come to the conclusion that the world was only filled with darkness.

Again, his voice whispered against Ryoma's ear, "Ryoma...come to me."

"Fu...ji," whispered Ryoma.

How he missed his touch. Sighing in content, Ryoma leaned back against Fuji's chest. He longed for the other to touch him again, but he would never allow himself to make the mistake. In the distance, he could hear someone calling his name. Shaking his head, Ryoma didn't dare to listen to the voice, fearing that if he came back to reality, he forget Fuji's touch. His body was shaking slightly. At first he thought it was because he was cold, but he realized that someone was shaking him. Gasping, Ryoma's eyes fluttered opened. He stared up at Shiraishi who was leaning over him with concern plastered on his face.

"Are you okay?" asked Shiraishi, "You were gripping onto me really hard...nightmare?"

Ryoma blinked and then sat up slowly. It had all been a dream. There was a sinking feeling inside him. _Disappointment_. He didn't understand why, but he knew that he was disappointed that it was all a dream only.

"I'll get you a cup of water," Shiraishi said as he got up, walking into the kitchen.

Ryoma stared after him, calming the pounding inside his heart. In the studio room apartment, it was easy to hear the noises of the city street and other neighbors. From the left, he could hear the sound of a television playing. From the right of the wall, he could hear a man and woman making love. Their quiet moans and whispers of love seem to float through the wall. Blushing, Ryoma pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. Shiraishi returned with a glass of water and handed it to him. Accepting the water, Ryoma gulped it down, not realizing how thirsty he had been. Setting the cup onto the small table, he shifted his position. He sat cross legged, facing Shiraishi who had sat down as well.

"So...who is this Fuji?" asked Shiraishi.

Surprised by Shiraishi's question, Ryoma averted his gaze. Unsure of how to answer, he remained silent. There was a tug at his heart when he realized that Shiraishi might have been hurt by his silence. Biting his lower lips, Ryoma brought his gaze back to Shiraishi. He didn't want to hurt the other man, but at the same time he didn't think that mentioning Fuji would be a problem either. It wasn't as though he and Fuji had a relationship.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Shiraishi said with a smile, "I don't want to push you. I don't have that right to make you answer me."

Ryoma blinked in surprise. The way how Shiraishi had brushed it off seemed so familiar. He was afraid to point out the person who Shiraishi seemed familiar too, so he tossed the thought behind. Sighing, Ryoma crawled over to him. He moved to sit beside him and then lied onto the floor, placing his head on top of Shiraishi's lap. Immediately, he felt Shiraishi's fingers running through his hair again. Closing his eyes, Ryoma allowed himself to be lulled to sleep by Shiraishi's soft breathing and soothing fingers once more.

* * *

The next night, Atobe had called for a meeting. Earlier in the day, Ryoma had already warned Atobe about the police wanting to do another search in his house. Since the fight club had been meeting at Atobe's mansion, usually inside his basement, Ryoma worried that they would get caught, however, Atobe assured him that everything would be alright. Still unconvinced, Ryoma had grunted to his assurance. Deciding to let fate play it out, Ryoma brushed away his worries and attended the fight club as usual.

Tonight was going to be a special night. Shiraishi had been chosen to fight. Standing beside the policeman, he watched as Shiraishi took off his jacket. Taking the jacket from him, Ryoma's gaze fell onto the bandages on Shiraishi's arm. Shiraishi never wore them when they were together, but whenever there was a fight club meeting, Ryoma always noticed it. Ryoma never asked about it, but since today was Shiraishi's fight, he was a little curious. He never did see what was behind those bandages since they never left together to the fight club.

"Why do you always wear bandages?" asked Ryoma as curiosity finally piqued his interest, urging him to ask.

Shiraishi stared at him and then smiled slowly, "You'll find out soon enough. Wish me the best of luck."

Shiraishi leaned down and waited for Ryoma to kiss him. Ryoma merely stared at him. He didn't like showing affection in front of people. However, seeing Shiraishi's pouting face crumbled his resolution. Taking a quick glance around, he tipped forward and placed a chaste kiss on Shiraishi's lip. His action earned him a smile, one that brought a blush to his face. Looking away quickly, Ryoma swiftly ran in the opposite direction towards Atobe. As soon as he reached Atobe, he noticed the older man looking at him with an arched brow.

"What?" he growled.

Atobe chuckled and shook his head, "My, my, I didn't know that you showed your affection so openly."

"I don't," scowled Ryoma before turning his attention to the center of the circle.

In the middle of the circle, Shiraishi had stepped in. He was stretching his arms while waiting for the other man to enter. After a few minutes, his opponent entered. The man was a tall and well built. Ryoma flinched at the sight of the opponent. He wondered how Shiraishi would fair against him. Beside him, he could hear Atobe making the announcements and then starting the fight. Ryoma clenched Shiraishi's jacket closer to himself. Since the re-opening of fight club, Shiraishi had never fought. Since today was his first time, Ryoma could feel excitement coursing through him. He wanted to see just how strong Shiraishi really was.

The opponent swung his fist first, but Shiraishi dodged it easily. Ryoma noticed that Shiraishi's footworks were similar to a boxer's. Even the his defense was similar. Suddenly, the opponent ducked and swung his feet, taking down Shiraishi. There was a loud thud, causing Ryoma to wince. The rest of the men began to shout and scream from excitement as the opponent clambered on top of Shiraishi. He started swinging his fist into Shiraishi's face. Ryoma clenched his hands into fist, gripping tightly onto the jacket as he saw Shiraishi getting beat to a pulp. However, in a swift movement, Shiraishi blocked one of the punches, giving himself enough time to twist and knee the man in his groin. The opponent groaned and rolled off. Shiraishi had gained the upper man, but instead of pounding the man into the ground, Shiraishi got up. Ryoma frowned, not understanding why Shiraishi didn't take advantage of the situation. Shiraishi waited until his opponent got up. Once his opponent recollected himself, he started swinging his large fists again, but each time he swung, Shiraishi dodged. Ryoma was surprised that Shiraishi still had the strength and the visionm since there was blood dripping from his eyebrows to his eyes, to dodge swift attacks. When the opponent swung his foot to kick, Shiraishi side stepped, easily dodging the kick. With an open range, Shiraishi jabbed. His right fist connected with the opponent. There was a loud crack and then a loud scream. Everyone inside the basement watched in horror as the opponent's jaw was dislocated. When the opponent turned to face him, Shiraishi jabbed the man again, punching on the nose. Another loud crack silenced the room. The opponent fell to the ground with a bloody nose, screaming in agony. There were some incoherent words coming from the man, but Ryoma could make out a few of them. The opponent was giving up. Shiraishi won the match.

Ryoma walked forward to congratulate him, but a few rough looking men got to Shiraishi before he could. Arching a brow, he noticed the men were staring at Shiraishi with disgust. He was about to push one of the men aside when Atobe stopped him. He looked up at Atobe and scowled at him, but Atobe glanced down and shook his head once. Ryoma grumbled, but decided to let it go and watch the situation play out.

"What's a fucking police doing here?" asked one of the men, "Trying to show off or something? Damn asshole."

"You should get your ass out of here before we kill you," said another, "We hate cops and we don't mind killing them."

There were a few snickers which angered Ryoma, but Atobe's tight grip on shoulder prevented him from doing anything. He mentally cursed to him. He wanted to beat the crap out of the men who had dared to threaten Shiraishi.

Shiraishi stared at the men innocently, "Please let me through."

"Please? Please? You should get on the ground and grovel," said the first man who had spoke.

Shiraishi's smile slowly disappeared. He stared at the men one at a time. Suddenly, the first man swung his fist that was holding a pocket knife at Shiraishi. Ryoma stepped forward to help, only to be tugged backward by Atobe.

"Atobe!" yelled Ryoma.

"Just watch," muttered Atobe.

Huffing, Ryoma turned to look back and saw Shiraishi using his right bandaged arm to stop the attack. There was a sound of metal hitting metal. Suddenlym Shiraishi swung his left fist and punched the man. He fell backwards, screaming as he held his bleeding jaw. In a matter of a few seconds, Shiraishi pulverized the rest of the men, winning easily even though he was outnumbered. Ryoma gaped in awe.

"Annoying bastards," mumbled Shiraishi as he marched up to Ryoma.

Handing him back his jacket, Ryoma asked, "What do you have under those bandages?"

Shiraishi blinked and stared at him. He smiled before holding out his arms. He started unwrapping them. Once the bandages came off, Ryoma noticed the shiny weights wrapped around arms and a thin brass knuckle.

"You fucker, you cheated!" yelled one of the men from the circle.

Ryoma glanced over and saw the man tending to the opponent's injuries glaring at Shiraishi. Arching a brow, he waited to see what Shiraishi would say.

"It's street fighting," replied Shiraishi smoothly, "Anything goes. I won fair and square."

Smiling, Ryoma took out a white cloth and started dabbing the blood off of Shiraishi's face. He wondered what the outcome would be if he fought against Shiraishi. There was one thing he was sure though, Shiraishi would be a tough opponent. As he was wiping the blood, he heard a scoff. He glanced to the side and saw the man from earlier who called Shiraishi a cheater walk up to them. He looked at them with disgust.

"What are you?" he asked pointing a finger at Ryoma, "His damn bitch? Undefeated champion my ass. I bet you just let them fuck your ass to let you win."

Ryoma stopped, slowly bringing his full gaze over to the man. Bringing his hand down, he placed the cloth onto Shiraishi's hand. Walking over to the man, he glanced up and smiled slightly.

"Jealous that I'm more fuckable than you?" he asked.

The man hissed at Ryoma's comment. He raised his fist, but Ryoma swiftly kicked him in the stomach. The man bowed forward, gripping his stomach. Grabbing him by the hair, Ryoma turned and forcefully smashed his face into the edge of a metal table. There was blood, but Ryoma didn't bother to see where the man was injured. He turned on his heel and started walking towards the stairs. The new men of the fight club had proven themselves to be arrogant bastards. In the distance, he could hear Atobe calming the men and ending the meeting. He was out of the basement and walking to the front door when he heard Shiraishi calling him. Stopping in his tracks, Ryoma turned to face him.

"You really did some damage," said Shiraishi.

"Well, I'm not the undefeated champion for nothing," Ryoma said with a roll of eyes.

"No. No you're not."

"Can I...stay at your place again?"

"Sure."

Shiraishi wrapped an arm around his shoulder and they left the mansion without a single word after.

As soon as they got back to Shiraishi's house, they went straight for the bathroom. While bathing together, Shiraishi began teasing Ryoma. Frustrated with his teasing, Ryoma groaned and decided to straddle the man. Their lips connected and they kissed sloppily. They barely made it out of the tub before Shiraishi was thrusting deep inside Ryoma. Tossing the idea of getting to the futon, Shiraishi made love to him on the bathroom floor. Hearing his moans echo in the bathroom, aroused Ryoma further. His hands reached up, slipping around Shiraishi's slick and wet body. He moaned loudly as Shiraishi rammed into him, brushing against his prostrate. Arching his back, Ryoma thrust his hip to meet with Shiraishi's thrusts. It didn't take long for both of them to climax. Panting heavily, Ryoma tried to sit up, but he was still wet from the bath and his hand slipped. Shiraishi caught him before he hit the floor. Staring into Shiraishi's eyes, Ryoma leaned up for another kiss. As they kissed, he felt Shiraishi grow hard inside him. He moaned into the kiss, letting his body become aroused again.

"Futon," whispered Ryoma huskily as he broke the kiss, "Something more comfortable at least."

From half-closed eyes lids, Ryoma could see Shiraishi nodding his head. He felt himself being lift from the bathroom floor, causing Shiraishi to slip out of him. Wrapping his legs around Shiraishi's hips, he was carried to the futon. Before they could even lie down, Shiraishi plunged his erect length into Ryoma once more. Groaning, Ryoma rolled his head back. They tumbled onto the futon in the midst of kissing. Moaning from the ecstasy of Shiraishi plunging deep inside him, Ryoma practically scream the policeman's name while he ejaculated before fainting.

Ryoma wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious, but by the time he woke up, the clock's red, glowing light showed five o' clock. Turning onto his side, he faced Shiraishi who was already awake.

"Mornin'" greeted Shiraishi, "It's still early. You can go back to sleep."

Ryoma shook his head, moving in closer to his warmth, "I was wondering Shiraishi...why are you cop? Especially since...you're in fight club. It doesn't make sense that a supposedly upstanding citizen chooses to affiliate himself with something dirty like fight club."

Shiraishi chuckled, "Don't get me wrong. I love my job. I like helping people, but there are times when it can get a little annoying. Criminals getting away with things even though there are a lot of evidence against them. Besides, the criminal justice system is fucking rigged. You have politicians who get away with far more crimes than anyone just because they have money. Somewhere along the way...I sort of lost trust in it and before I knew it, I was dealing with drugs. I took cocaine for the first time in the middle of a freaking alley when a random stranger offered it. When I realized how much money they were making...I guess I got greedy."

"So, if you were making that much money off of drugs...how come you're not living in a better house?"

He heard Shiraishi laughing at his question, but he was serious. He wondered where all the money had gone. If Shiraishi was gaining money, then there would have been more luxurious items in his apartment.

"At the time, I was working for someone else," said Shiraishi in a soft voice, "You know...the one that Atobe killed to get his current members."

"You mean, you were apart of that group?" asked Ryoma, "Those arrogant bastards?"

"Yeah, but they didn't know that I was the one helping them get around without having the police find out. But, the boss was a greedy guy. I never got my fair share of helping out. One day, Atobe approached me and offered to help me out if I get him to meet the boss. So I did and the next thing I know, the boss is dead and Atobe took over the group. I have to say...Atobe is one amazing guy. When he wants things done, he'll get it done."

"Yeah..."

"By the way, I have something for you."

Shiraishi got up and scurried to the kitchen. Sitting up, Ryoma stared at his back as he rummaged through the drawer. Looking away, Ryoma pulled the blankets over himself. He got up slowly and started walking towards Shiraishi. He was halfway there when Shiraishi returned. He was about to ask what Shiraishi was giving him when Shiraishi suddenly thrust his closed hand out to him. Ryoma glanced down at the enclosed hand and raised a brow. Slowly, he held his hand out with his palm facing up. Shiraishi opened his hand and something cool dropped into his hand. Ryoma brought his hand back, staring at the object in the palm of his hand. The golden piece of metal glinted as he moved his hand upward to take a closer a look.

"A...key?" muttered Ryoma.

Shiraishi leaned closer and whispered, "A key to my apartment. Since you always come over, I thought you should have one. If there are times when you get tired of staying with Atobe or if you just need someone to be there, just use this key to get inside. I promise you, I'll always welcome you inside. You're free to stay even when I'm at work. I want you to feel comfortable. I want...to be there for you."

Ryoma stared at the object. Slowly, his gaze traveled up until he met with Shiraishi's gaze. He forced a smile onto his face. He wasn't sure if Shiraishi could tell if he was faking his smile, but the older man hugged him tightly.

"I have to get ready for work," Shiraishi whispered before releasing him and walking to the bathroom.

Ryoma looked back to the key. He gulped slowly at the sight of it in his hands. The gesture from Shiraishi was sweet, but Ryoma could only think of Fuji when he had given him a key, offering him a warm house as well. Closing his hands around the key, he began to remember how Fuji had forced the key into his hands. He never wanted that key in the beginning, but somehow it had meant a lot to him. In the end, he tossed the key away. Tightening his clenched fist, he could feel the key being imprinted onto the palm of his hands. It was almost crazy how similar Shiraishi was to Fuji. Ryoma closed his eyes at the thought. It was the one thought that he wanted to avoid the most, but he had to face it sooner or later. Shiraishi was too similar to Fuji. They may have not shared the same idea about Atobe, but the way they acted towards him was too similar. Shiraishi wanted to be there for him just as Fuji did. They wanted to help and support him. Even the way how they both thought of giving him a key was the same. Yet, the way how Ryoma felt about Shiraishi wasn't the same as how he felt for Fuji. With Fuji, there was a tugging, a pulling of want and need. When he was with Fuji, there was a sense of completeness. He didn't understand why, but he craved for Fuji, not physically, but emotionally. With Shiraishi, it was different. He never felt complete with Shiraishi. Opening his eyes slowly, he began to wonder that maybe the only reason he was with Shiraishi was because he wanted his wounds to be licked. Shiraishi was like another Fuji...a Fuji who didn't follow the rules of society.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm so sorry. This chapter is a bit short. DX I promise the next one will be longer. However, this one is mostly about Ryoma and Shiraishi...mostly about Shiraishi's role. If you haven't figured it out, Shiraishi is Fuji's foil. He represents who Fuji would have been like if he was involved with the darker side of humanity. But, no matter how similar they are, Shiraishi is not Fuji and Ryoma knows that. And so...Fuji will now be returning in the next chapter. Look forward to it. Please review too.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It will contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence. Please review.

**Ready-Fight! :** **A Warm Family**

As soon as Shiraishi had left, Ryoma returned to Atobe's mansion. He stepped inside the mansion and sighed, shuffling over to one of the couches. He didn't bother to look for Atobe as he was already sure that the man would either be in bed with some random woman or off in his study room. Lying down, he rest his arm over his eyes. He hadn't done much, but he was mentally exhausted. Listening to his even breathing, his eyes began to feel heavy. Struggling to stay awake, Ryoma turned on the sofa. Blinking his eyes, he tried to force himself awake, but soon the struggle against sleep stopped. Letting exhaustion take over his body, he fell into a quiet sleep on the sofa. It wasn't until he felt a nudge that stirred him from his slumber. Eyes fluttering, he sat up quickly. His gaze fell on Atobe sitting on another chair diagonal of him.

Atobe lifted his eyes from the book he was reading and greeted him, "Good afternoon. You're never one to sleep here unguarded."

"I was tired," muttered Ryoma as he swung his feet over the side of the couch, "It's a little creepy to know that you were watching me while I was sleeping."

"I just got here myself. I tried to wake you up...but after a little nudging, I decided against it. You need your beauty sleep too, especially if you're always over at Shiraishi's place and letting him fuck you."

Ryoma growled at him, but he didn't deny it because most of what Atobe said was true. Clucking his tongue, he leaned back against the sofa and sighed. He glanced back to Atobe and found the older man resume his reading. A few minutes passed before his phone began to vibrate. Reaching into his pocket, Ryoma took out his cell and answered it.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Echizen, you need to tell Atobe to get rid of any evidence from last night," spoke Shiraishi hurriedly in a quiet voice, "They're heading to his place right now. They have a warrant because some neighbor mentioned hearing noises and a lot men leaving the house. They even mentioned something along the lines of suspecting drugs. Hurry."

The line went dead as Ryoma pulled the phone away from his ear. He looked up at Atobe who was staring at him expectantly. "They're coming here with a warrant...a good reason for it too," said Ryoma.

Atobe's eyes twitched slightly as he slammed his book shut. He stood quickly, calling for Kabaji. Ryoma watched in silence as Kabaji appeared at Atobe's side quickly. He always did find it amazing for Kabaji, who was big and built with plenty of muscles, moved quickly for someone his size. He disappeared again after hearing his orders from Atobe.

"What are you waiting for?" asked Atobe with a slight hiss.

Ryoma blinked at him and then stood up, "What do you want me to do?"

"Go help Kabaji clean out the basement. Be sure to also rearrange it. I don't want them finding it suspicious that the area in the middle has been cleared for a certain reason. While you're doing that, I'll get this place in better condition."

Nodding his head, Ryoma ran to the basement where he found Kabaji tossing out some furniture. He started helping by grabbing the ones that had blood stains, although he wasn't sure what Kabaji would do with them. After tossing out the stained furniture, Ryoma and Kabaji started changing the basement. They added a rug in the middle, placing a table on top. Ryoma quickly grabbed a few chairs and placed them around the table. While he was arranging the chairs, Atobe brought in new furniture he had been storing. Taking a look at them, Ryoma noticed that even though they were unused, they didn't look too new either.

"Good thinking," he muttered as he mentally pointed out that it if the furniture were too new, the police would find it suspicious. Turning to Atobe, he raised a brow, "So, what are you going to do with those?"

Ryoma pointed to the old furniture. Atobe glanced over to Kabaji and then ordered him to dismantle and clean them with bleach. Staring in confusion, Ryoma followed after Atobe who was placing the furniture into places that made the basement look like it was meant for parties. After Atobe finished, he walked back up the stairs. Ryoma continued to follow him, exiting the basement. He was a few steps behind when the door bell rang. Sucking in a breath, he glanced over to Atobe, but the man didn't look worried. Ryoma stopped in his tracks and watched as Atobe strolled to the door calmly and opened it. The first face that appeared at the door was a familiar face he remembered.

"Well, if it isn't Officer Tezuka," Atobe said coolly.

"Atobe...we have a warrant to check your house again," he said in a flat tone.

"Go right ahead."

Atobe stepped aside and allowed Tezuka to come in. Ryoma watched his every movement until he stopped and their eyes met. Glancing away, Ryoma walked over to the couch and flopped down. He was busily flipping through a magazine he had found underneath the coffee table when he heard a voice he recognized easily. He slowly turned to look at the door. The person stepped aside and their gaze instantly locked. It was as though their body had called out to them.

"Echizen," said Fuji as though he thought he was dreaming.

"Fuji," acknowledged Ryoma as he stood.

Frowning, Ryoma broke his gaze and started walking towards the stairs. He didn't want to be around when Fuji was searching the house. It would only make him angry and he didn't want to snap in front of the police. As he ascended the stairs, he could feel Fuji's gaze boring into his back. Ignoring the stare, he continued his way up. As soon as he reached the second floor, he hurried to his room, closing it quietly behind him. He leaned his back against the door and slid down. Pulling his knees up, he wrapped his arms around them. Propping his chin between his knees, Ryoma sighed. He listened closely to the noises beyond his door. He could hear Atobe talking with Tezuka's voice following after. They were questioning him, but he denied every accusation. He later heard Atobe agreeing to a house search. Since Atobe's mansion was huge, the police took a long time. By the time they finished checking all the floors, it was five o' clock in the evening. Ryoma opened his door, thinking that they were gone, but as soon as he opened it, he was facing the one person he didn't want to see. Fuji stood in front of him with a hand in the air. Ryoma drifted his gaze from the half formed fist to Fuji's expressionless face.

"What?" asked Ryoma, slightly growling.

"I just wanted to talk to you," answered Fuji as he brought his raised hand back to his side, "well, not right now, but later."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"But you are right now."

"I mean I don't want to talk to you later, now move."

Ryoma tried to walked pass Fuji, but he found himself facing Fuji once again. Scowling, Ryoma looked up and pushed Fuji aside. This time he was able to walk around the older man, but he was stopped when Fuji reached a hand out to grab his arm. Ryoma twirled around to face him. Frowning, he smacked Fuji's hand away.

"I don't want your lying, disgusting hand on me," Ryoma hissed in a low voice, "Leave me alone or I'll tell your damn captain, chief, whatever he is, that you laid your hand on an underage person."

He saw Fuji go rigid and smirked at his victory. Ryoma turned on his heels and started his descent down the stairs. He barely made it two steps down when he heard Fuji calling out to him to stop in a quiet voice. Ryoma halted and looked over his shoulder at the other man. His head was hung down and his hands had gripped into tight fists. Arching a brow, Ryoma turned around again. He leaned against the rail, waiting for Fuji to continue.

"...ahead...him..." muttered Fuji quietly.

Ryoma lifted his brows, "I can't hear you."

"Go ahead...him," Fuji mumbled again, this time a little louder.

Clucking his tongue, Ryoma said, "I can't fu-"

"Go ahead and tell him," Fuji stated in a clear and loud tone as he looked up with a frown, "I don't care anymore. I just want to fix things between us."

"There was never an 'us,' Fuji."

"Then I'll make it happen. Go ahead and tell Tezuka. I don't mind getting fired...I don't even care if I go to jail. All I want is for us to be okay again...no, to be more than okay. I want to be more with you."

"After betraying me, do you honestly think I would forgive you and let us be more than what we are? You must be out of your fucking mind."

"Maybe I am, but I'm not going to give up. I want you to trust me again."

Ryoma cursed under his breath and turned away. It was meaningless to talk to Fuji. Ignoring him, Ryoma started walking down the stairs again. He could hear Fuji following after him. As soon as he reached the bottom, Fuji stepped around him and walked over to Tezuka. Their gaze locked, but Ryoma was the first to look away. He heard Fuji sigh and then Tezuka asking Fuji what was wrong.

"It's nothing," replied Fuji as he waved it off.

Tezuka stared at him, but decided to drop the subject. Ryoma rolled his eyes and made his way toward Atobe. He reached Atobe's side and turned to face the cops. As he turned, he realized that Tezuka was staring at him. Ryoma glared at him for a few seconds before looking away. His eyes were too similar to Fuji– how they could see right through him. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Ryoma shifted on his feet. After what felt like hours, Tezuka finally order his men to leave. Atobe led them to door with a victorious expression; at least, to Ryoma it looked victorious, but to others, they probably couldn't even tell. Ryoma eventually followed after them, but when he got to the door, no one was there. Blinking, he looked around, but they were no where in sight. Shrugging, he walked out the door and ran into Fuji, his face smacking into Fuji's chest. He took a few steps back to balance himself before looking up at Fuji with a frown.

"Why are you still here?" hissed Ryoma.

"Everyone else is busy being entertained by Atobe..." replied Fuji, "so I thought this would be a good time to get you alone."

"You're annoying, like a fly that doesn't go away."

"Then I'll keep on annoying you. Actually, I wanted to ask you if you could meet up with me at the Emerald Cafe at three o' clock, after my shift."

"No."

"Give it some thought. I just want to talk to you properly."

"As if all the time that I stayed with you wasn't enough to talk to me properly."

"If I told you the truth, you wouldn't have stayed. You would have ran back to Atobe and told him everything, then fight club would never be caught."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Now look who's lying?"

Ryoma scowled at him, "I have reasons as to why I hide things."

"Well so did I," Fuji said calmly, "Enough of this Echizen. I didn't come here to fight with you."

"Really? Because doing a house search for something that is in the imagination of the cops really shows that you're not trying to get on my bad side."

"I already am anyways. Look, just think about it. Please...I'm begging you to meet with me."

Ryoma took a breath and watched as Fuji turned to leave. A few moments later, Atobe returned with a smug look. Ryoma shook his head at him, stepping aside to let Atobe through.

"We didn't get caught today," muttered Ryoma.

"No, we didn't," Atobe said in a light humming tone, "But, no fight club for a while. Looks like they'll be monitoring me 'secretly,' even though that's useless."

Atobe shrugged and returned to the chair he was sitting it. Ryoma closed the door and followed after him. Sitting down on the sofa, Ryoma flopped onto it. Lying on the sofa, he stared at Atobe who was reading his book. He sighed and closed his eyes, falling into a short slumber.

Around two-thirty, Ryoma stirred awake. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and felt something slide off of him. He looked down at his body, noticing a quilt. Picking it up, he took a close look at it, realizing that it was one of the quilts from Atobe'e study room. He looked around the living room, but Atobe was no where in sight. He looked back to the quilt, gently picking it up to fold it. It came as a surprise that Atobe would put a quilt around him. He was never the type to do such things. Setting the quilt aside, he stood and stretched his arms. Checking the time, he noticed that if he left the mansion now, he would make it to Emerald Cafe in time to meet up with Fuji. Frowning, he debated between going or not going. He didn't want to see Fuji again, but apart of him was urging him to go. Hesitantly, he started walking towards the door. When he got to it, he took a breath and opened it.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered before walking out the door.

It was five minutes after three when he got to the cafe. Stepping inside, he scanned the area until his gaze fell on Fuji who was sitting near the windows. As much as he wanted to turn around and jolt out of there, his feet brought him over to the table. Sitting down, he noticed Fuji's gaze on him. He sat uncomfortably, hating the way how Fuji was staring at him.

"Stop staring at me," Ryoma said quietly while leaning forward so Fuji could hear him.

Fuji's eyebrows rose up at the command and he chuckled, "Sorry, I felt like I haven't seen you in a long time."

"You just saw me a few hours ago."

"I mean...like this, where you aren't always accusing me."

"Want me to start again?"

"No. Please, don't."

"...so, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Fuji was silent for a second. He looked away and then back to Ryoma. Finally, he said, "I want you to be honest with me Echizen. Is there a fight club and are you or are you not a member?"

Ryoma glared at Fuji while he crossed his arms across his chest. He leaned back into the seat, thinning his lips. He wasn't going to answer the question. He had came here, hoping that Fuji would bring up other topics. However, it seemed that Fuji was going to be persistent.

"Please Echizen, just tell me. I promise you, I won't report this. This is a confidential meeting. I won't tell the police. I just...want to know," Fuji continued.

"Why? You want all the fame and glory of taking down some imaginary fight club?" Ryoma said sarcastically.

Fuji reached out, placing his hands over Ryoma's. Shocked, Ryoma went rigid. He glanced at the pairs of hands over his. He remembered the warmth of Fuji's hand, suddenly missing it.

"I don't want us to be enemies," Fuji whispered as he gently rubbed Ryoma's hands.

"Isn't it too late?" asked Ryoma quietly.

"No, it's not. Ryoma...I...I l-"

Ryoma stood up quickly, pulling his hands away. He was afraid of Fuji's next words. He didn't want to hear them. If Fuji spoke them, he was afraid that he would respond in Fuji's favor. He wasn't going to let that happen. He didn't want to feel as though he needed Fuji. He didn't need to rely on anyone, especially Fuji.

"I have to go," mumbled Ryoma as he turned to leave, but as he turned, he felt Fuji wrapping a hand around his.

Glancing back to the other, he tried to pull his hand away, but Fuji gripped even harder.

"You deserve better," said Fuji, almost desperately, "You don't belong in that world."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ryoma repeated like a broken record, "Let go of my hand."

"Think about it. None of this would have happened if your cousin Nanako Meino didn't go to the loan sharks for help."

Ryoma's eyes widened at hearing his cousin's name. He hadn't heard her name since the time that she disappeared. He was returning from school when he found the house empty. Nanako wasn't there and for weeks he waited, but she never returned. He was sure that she had abandoned him because she couldn't take care of him. He knew that he was burden because there was a debt that came from his parent's funerals. Nanako was still going to college, but she was working at least two jobs to provide for him and her. When she disappeared, Ryoma was devastated. That was when it all began, the day he stopped believing in people. Unable to go anywhere else and not wanting to be put into foster care, Ryoma lived on the streets, making it his home. For one whole year, Ryoma survived out on the streets, stealing and prostituting himself to get money. When he was eleven, he met Atobe who found him in the middle of a fight and took him in. For two years he lived with Atobe, training to fight. After two years and finding out Atobe's true intentions, Ryoma left the house. For another three years, he lived out on the streets, though it seemed Atobe was keeping a close watch on him and making sure that nothing happened to him. Eventually, the fateful day came and Fuji walked into his life. Staring at the older man, Ryoma tugged his hand free.

"What do you mean, she took a loan?" asked Ryoma.

"You two were in debt. She wasn't able to pay for all of it. She was hoping that if she took the loan to pay off the debt, she would have time to save up money to pay back the loan sharks, but what she didn't know was that every time she didn't pay back, they added more interest. She never knew because they never told her. On the day she disappeared, the loan sharks were waiting for you to return home. They were planning to take you as compensation, but your cousin offered herself instead. They took her before you even got back. The police force went to search for her after arresting the loan sharks. It seemed they were connected to a gang and they were doing some illegal organ selling. Unfortunately, we were unable to find her. We had a trace on her, but suddenly, the clues disappeared."

"Was she a victim...of the organ selling? Was she killed so they could sell her organs?"

"We're...not sure. But, I don't think they did. They would probably make more money if they prostituted her out."

Ryoma sat down unsteadily. He had always thought that Nanako had abandoned him. Hearing the news, he was unsure how to feel. Nanako gave herself up to protect him, hoping that maybe he would have a better life, but it didn't make much of a difference. He lived on the streets, sold his body for a living, and now he was fighting to make money, living with a man who introduced him to drugs. She had probably wanted him to stay away from that life style, but in the end, it didn't make much of a difference. If she was alive, he wondered how she would react if she saw how he was living. Would she be proud of his life style? He was sure that Nanako would disapprove of it. Biting the inside of his cheeks, Ryoma started to doubt the life he had been living.

"I'm sorry," Fuji whispered, taking hold of his hand again, "I will do everything in my power to find her. If she is alive...no, she is alive. She has to be...when I find her, I want to reunite the both of you. When that happens, don't you think you should show her that you're better than those loan sharks?"

He slowly looked up at Fuji, silently staring at him. He wanted to be better than them, but it was too late. Ryoma had been sucked into a world that wasn't going to let go of him easily. Atobe would surely chase after him to keep his mouth shut and he really didn't want to deal with those new men that Atobe had found. He was sure that they would rape him before killing him. He could already see the outcome. Pulling his hand away, Ryoma closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Where I'm living...I'm happy," muttered Ryoma monotonously, "I don't need you to pry into my past."

He stood, turning to leave. He muttered a goodbye before walking away. This was their turning point. If he walked away now, then he and Fuji were bound to become enemies. He pained him to no end to know that the man who he had learned was not as the rumors say he was, would become his worst enemy. But, there was no turning back now because it was the path that he had chosen. The light was too far away for him. His body has been sullied, his hands dirtied with blood, and his mind was too warped to even return to society. He wouldn't be able to live in the way that society would want him to live. All around him was only blackness and it would remain that way until he dies.

"It's not too late," he heard Fuji say.

Stopping in his tracks, Ryoma looked over his shoulder at Fuji. He was still sitting on the chair near the table. Ryoma shifted uncomfortably. People were beginning to stare at him and he didn't want to draw attention.

"It's not too late to step away from that path," Fuji said, "I just need you to confess."

Ryoma gritted his teeth together. Clenching his hands into fist, he looked away, "I have nothing to confess."

He didn't turn back to look at Fuji's reaction. Ryoma walked forward until he reached the entrance. He waited for a second. When Fuji didn't come after him, he took a breath and opened the door. He walked through it and out into the cold, holding back the urge to run back to Fuji who would obviously comfort him. Everything he heard was causing a turmoil inside him. He just wanted someone to hold him tightly, but he had his pride. He wasn't going to go back to Fuji. It was time that he moved forward, taking the only road he knew. As he wandered the streets, he mindlessly looked around. His body felt heavy, fatigue with mental stress. He wasn't sure how long he wandered, but when his mind came back to reality, he heard someone calling to him. Blinking, Ryoma stopped and turned to look at the approaching figure. He almost thought he was seeing things, but he realized that he wasn't when the approaching figure of Momo continued to walk toward him.

"It really is you," Momo said as he caught up to Ryoma.

Ryoma stared at him blankly, "...why?"

"I was out on an errand when I noticed you passing by. I didn't think...we would meet again," Momo said sheepishly, "Actually, I was really hoping that we did though."

"Why?"

"Hm? Well, that's because...I mean, despite everything that I went through and that whole incident where I kind of...planned to tattle on Atobe...I still think we're friends. At least, I hope you still feel the same way."

Ryoma's lips twitched slightly, but he suppressed an amused smile. Shaking his head, he nodded his head to let Momo follow him. They walked to a park where they both sat down on a bench. It was the very same park where he had spotted Momo and decided to recruit him. He still felt guilty about making Momo join the fight club.

"I apologize for making you join fight club," Ryoma said a few minutes after they sat down.

Momo smiled at him, "Nah, it was nothing. I decided to join myself anyways, so don't apologize. I was an idiot to think I could handle that type of thing, but...I wasn't. I guess I was a coward."

Ryoma shook his head at Momo's statement, "No, you're not a coward. You were...courageous. Courageous to change what you had gotten yourself into. You made the decision to leave fight club even though you knew how dangerous it could be. You were prepared to do anything to escape. But me? I'm a coward. I can't leave that place. I owe it to Atobe...and I even if I did leave, I wouldn't know where to go."

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Momo staring at him. Tilting his head slightly, he glanced over to the other boy and arched a brow. Momo smiled at him and then pointed a finger at him, telling him to wait for a second. Puzzled, Ryoma nodded, but he watched closely as Momo disappeared. Fifteen minutes later, Momo returned with some canned juice. Momo handed the canned ponta juice to Ryoma while he kept the orange juice. Ryoma nodded his head in thanks, taking the ponta juice from him. He opened the can and took a sip, savoring the taste. He hadn't had the drink for a while.

"So, why don't you spill your sorrows?" asked Momo with a grin.

Staring at Momo, Ryoma suddenly frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about...what's on your mind? What's bothering you?"

"Why would you think that?"

"'Cause it's the first time you actually opened up to me. You never tell me about yourself, so that whole part about you being a coward, which I don't think you are since you're able to put with fight club, is a little surprising."

"Is it?"

"Uh-huh. So, talk to me. I'll lend you my ear."

Ryoma tapped his index finger against the tin can. He debated over telling Momo or not. Taking another sip, Ryoma sighed and then told Momo about everything. He told him how his parents died in a car accident, how his cousin, his only last relative since her parents passed away whens he was young, took him in and raised him, how she was taken away by loan sharks, how he lived, and how everything was wrong. When he finished, silence fell between them. He wasn't sure how Momo would react to him being gay. In the process of telling him, Ryoma had ended up confessing that he was only attracted to other men and that he was in a relationship with Shiraishi, but how he longed for Fuji. He could only hope that Momo wouldn't be disgusted and run away. He heard Momo let out a breath and glanced over to him anxiously.

"That's...a lot to process," Momo said slowly, "But...I'm glad you told me."

"You're...not disgusted?" asked Ryoma hesitantly.

"Disgusted? Why would I be?"

"Because...I like other guys."

"So? That doesn't bother me. What I'm bothered about is the fact that you're attracted to a cop, especially one that could take down fight club and get you tossed into juvenile detention center. I don't want you to get tossed in there."

"Probably too late now."

"Alright then. Echizen, I think you should stop doing what others want you to do. Enough with obeying Atobe. Who cares if he took you in and sheltered you. You need to stop listening to him for a second. You've done enough to return the favor. Next, stop thinking about how you might hurt Shiraishi. Don't think about his feelings and try to adjust yourself to him. Stop thinking about Fuji and what he wants you to do. I know you walked out on him, but you're still thinking about what he said to you right? Well, stop it! Clear everything out of your head...and finally, start being selfish. Start thinking about yourself and what **you** want. You never had that chance because everything was thrust to you without a choice. Well, it's time you start taking control."

Ryoma opened his mouth to deny what Momo was saying. He was in control of his life, but the more he thought about it, the more it began to make sense. Nothing came out of his mouth, so he closed it and stared at Momo expressionless. He often hate admitting to things, but it seemed the Momo had a point. There were many times Ryoma believed he was in control of his own life – leaving Atobe's house as he pleased, living out on the streets to defy society, not confessing to Fuji because it would destroy the world he lived in, staying with Shiraishi because he thought that's what he wanted – but they were all affected by the needs of others. Sighing, Ryoma leaned back against the bench. He kicked a pebble on the floor, watching it as it tumbled and rolled a few feet away. A cold wind breezed passed them, causing Ryoma to shiver.

"Winter is pretty cold," mumbled Momo as he pushed his jacket collar up tp cover his red nose, "Wanna come over to my place for dinner?"

For a second he thought he was hearing things, but when he turned to look at Momo, he could see the seriousness in his face. Blinking, Ryoma shrugged, "I don't really want to impose on you and your family. Besides, why can't we just go for some hamburger?"

He heard Momo laugh at him and frowned slightly. He wasn't joking. Ryoma disliked being around families. They always reminded him of his family when they were alive. The warmth and comfort they gave was a feeling that he missed sometimes. It was a feeling that he would never have again. He didn't want to feel envious and jealous of Momo who had all of that.

"I'll ask my mom to make some home made burgers. My parents...they'll adore you," Momo assured him, "Besides, I think you need a little family lovin'."

Ryoma groaned, "I don't need it."

"Yes you do. Your face says it all."

Grumbling, Ryoma glared at Momo. He then rolled his eyes and asked, "Didn't you just say I should start taking control of my life?"

"Ah...well, I guess I did say that. Aww, fine. I guess no home made, delicious, juicy, hamburger for you then," said Momo as he stood to stretch his arms.

Ryoma bit his bottom lips as he heard the description of the savory hamburger. As though on cue, his stomach grumbled for attention. He looked down, slightly in embarrassment. He didn't need to look up to know that Momo was grinning like an idiot at him. Sighing, Ryoma succumbed to the biological need of his body. His hunger wouldn't be sated without the taste of a burger at the moment. Standing up, Ryoma followed after Momo who was humming in delight. Ryoma shook his head, knowing that it was going to be a long night.

The moment he stepped through the door, Momo's mother was gushing over him. Taken aback by the sudden adoration of an older woman, Ryoma tried his best to not show how uncomfortable he was with it. Momo had seemed to take the hint when Ryoma's eyes twitched slightly at the suggestion of staying the night. Ryoma was relieved when Momo finally stepped in and pushed his mother back into the kitchen, requesting for some home made hamburgers for dinner, to which she agreed since they had a guest over. Sighing, Ryoma followed after Momo who returned to lead him to his room. Once inside the safe haven of Momo's room, Ryoma let out a breath unexpectedly. He hadn't even realized that he was really nervous. He notice Momo wave him over to the bed. Walking to it, he sat down and watched curiously as Momo turned on the television. The first thing Ryoma noticed was the Wii. Momo turned it on and Wii Sports appeared. Blinking, Ryoma arched a brow at the Wii controller being handed to him.

"Wii tennis?" asked Momo, "Ever played before?"

"Of course...sort of. I don't exactly have time to play games and Atobe doesn't own any kind of game system," replied Ryoma as he took the controller and stood up.

"Really? Well, I shouldn't be surprised. So, how good are you?" Momo raised a brow at him, challenging him.

Ryoma returned it with a smug, "Better than you. I've played tennis before. My father was a professional tennis player and he taught me the moment I learned how to walk."

"Yeah? I bet you forgot how to play."

"Don't underestimate how the mind works."

"Game on."

After three hours of playing Wii tennis, Ryoma was in the lead. They were on a short break when Momo's mother called them down for dinner. Heading into the dining room, Ryoma was introduced to Momo's younger brother and sister along the way. Momo's younger sister seemed to have latched onto him. She was quite talkative, but surprisingly, Ryoma didn't find her annoying like most girls. He assumed it was because she was Momo's young sister. She was busily talking about her pet hamster when the entered the kitchen. Immediately, Ryoma's sense of smell was bombarded with the delicious aroma of hamburgers. Momo grabbed him by the arm, and led to the table, plopping him into a chair before sitting next to him. He looked at Momo warily, unsure of how to act in front of his parents, but the other boy merely smiled at him, which was of no use to him. Looking away, he glanced down at his plate where a burger was placed on it. It didn't take long for Ryoma to start eating due to hunger. He had a second helping too since Momo's mother had made plenty of extras. He was pretty full by the time he finished his fourth burger, but Momo had challenged him once again, this time on who could eat the most. Ryoma, caught up in the moment, accepted the challenge with hesitation. The next thing he knew, they were too stuff to even eat dessert which consisted of a light vanilla pudding. In the end though, Momo had won the round of who could eat the most hamburger.

"So, how did you meet our Momo?" asked the mother who finished washing the plates and was now setting cups of tea in front of them.

Ryoma stiffened at the question. He couldn't tell her it was because of fight club. She would be in shock and would most likely kick him out of her house and forbade him to ever see Momo again. Thought, he didn't mind the latter, since he was knew it was probably best for Momo to never get involved with him, but he did mind the former of the two. It was a warm house, he could tell just by the way how Momo's mother showed kindness. He didn't want to quite leave yet.

"Through tennis," answered Momo abruptly.

Ryoma slowly looked over to him and gave him an are-you-kidding-me look. However, Momo never caught his look. He was too busy grinning at his mother who, surprisingly, accepted the answer. After mentioning tennis, she went on and on about how Momo was such a great tennis player and how he was a regular for his tennis club. Ryoma could only smile and nod along. His lips twitched slightly as he glanced at Momo from the corner of his eyes. He could see Momo blushing at how his mother was gushing over him. It was a funny sight to see. Ryoma coughed lightly to hide a laugh, but it seemed Momo had caught it because Ryoma could see Momo glaring daggers at him. He bit back and smile and looked over to Momo, shrugging nonchalantly. Momo rolled his eyes on him which caused Ryoma to smile a bit. After spending time with Momo and his family, he had gotten into a better mood. He had actually forgotten all about his worries. By the time it was nine, Ryoma got up to leave. Momo's mother insisted that he stayed, to which Momo's father agreed, but Ryoma declined. He didn't want to impose on them and he was sure that Atobe would be pissed if he did. Walking to the front door with Momo accompanying him, he tried to force himself to remove the feelings of comfort, but failed quite unexpectedly. Momo opened the door for him and he stepped through it, entering the cold air. He turned around to face Momo, almost not wanting to leave.

"You should stay the night," Momo insisted, "It is late and it's cold outside."

"Nah," Ryoma said while shaking his head, "I doubt Atobe would be too happy if I did."

"What did I say about thinking of other people's needs before yours?"

"Be selfish, but...I really shouldn't stay. My background...is a little too dangerous for your family."

"Did you see the way my mom reacted to you? She adores you. I don't think they would mind. In fact, I'm sure they would do everything they could to help you."

"Thanks, but no. I can handle my own problems. Tell your mother that I said thanks. She's a great cook."

"Alright."

Ryoma waved to Momo and turned to leave. As he got to the gate, Momo called out to him again. Opening the gate, he stepped through and then turned to look at Momo. The door was still open, allowing a flow of light to cast on the porch. Momo's silhouette leaned against the door as he waved a hand at him.

"If you ever need a friend to lean on...my house is always open for you. My parents would love it if you stayed over. I really mean it. If you need a friend or maybe a family, I'll be here," Momo said, loud enough for Ryoma to hear.

Ryoma stood by the gate. He contemplated what Momo said and smiled slightly. If Nanako was alive, he would still have at least one family member left, but knowing that Momo was willing to accept him as family made him happy. It would seem that he wasn't alone in the world after all. Looking up from the gate, Ryoma tilted his head to the side a bit, "Thank you." Ryoma turned to leave again. He heard the door shut behind and he smiled at thought of knowing that he was wanted, not to fulfill someone's sexual pleasure or perverseness, not for the use of his fighting skill, and especially not for the fact that he had some kind of link or connection to Atobe, but rather he was wanted for being himself. He was wanted for merely being Ryoma Echizen. The thought comforted him, knowing that somewhere out there, there was a warm family willing to take him in.

* * *

Author's note: And here is the fourteenth chapter. It was...a bit longer than usual (and a lot more dialogue). Hmm, anyways...so, Ryoma is beginning to have a change of heart. Maybe, haha. We find out about Ryoma's past too. Honestly, I wasn't going to reveal it till the end or more like toward the end, but I thought this would work with trying to patch up Fuji's and Ryoma's relationship. It sort of shows to Ryoma that there are people out there who did help and are willing to help. However, it will still take time for Ryoma to come to terms with his feelings for Fuji as we can already see in this chapter where he was unwilling to hear what Fuji had to say to him.

And of course, Momo's role is to play the friend/best friend/family/brother who he can rely on in times of need without all the worry about getting into a physical/sexual relationship, as it would be that Ryoma has enough of that already. I haven't quite decided if this is Momo's last appearance. I would love to continue to have him in the story as he could become a comedic relief, but I don't want to put needless stuff either. Then again, I guess I could work on developing Ryoma's and Momo's friendship.

With that said...please review. Let me know if I have typos, please. I tend to skim a bit and maybe miss a few mistakes. Next chapter...I haven't started on it, but I will get to it soon. Spoiler: there will be a character death.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It will contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-Fight! :** **The Weeping Rain**

"You're free to do whatever you want," Atobe said while reading his book after calling Ryoma into his room.

Ryoma had never expected to be allowed free reign of himself. He stared blankly at Atobe who waved him off nonchalantly. It seemed that Atobe was being secretively investigated and so, fight club was once again canceled. Ryoma wasn't sure how long fight club would be down, but he was a little glad. With all the stuff that had happened, he wanted sometime to himself to think. Turning, he started walking to the door. He reached out, grasping the doorknob and was about to turn it when Atobe's voice stopped him.

"What was the meeting with Fuji about?" asked Atobe, not looking from his book.

Ryoma released his grip on the doorknob and turned to face Atobe, "What meeting?"

"You know what I mean. After the search on my house...you left to meet up with Fuji."

He sucked in a breath. He had known that Atobe had a few eyes around the city, but he didn't think that it would also be in the smallest of places like a cafe. Frowning, he shifted on his feet. It wasn't exactly as though he had anything to hide. He never confessed to Fuji about his connection to fight club, but there were other private matters he didn't want to bring up. The situation with Nanako and his family was a personal issue he rather not discuss, especially with Atobe who, although took him in, held Ryoma at a distance.

Hesitantly, Ryoma answered, "He wanted me to confess, but I didn't. We also...I found out about something from my past. That's all."

"Your cousin Nanako?" asked Atobe, looking up from his book and arching a brow.

Ryoma stared at him expressionless. He forced himself not to react to Atobe's correct guess. There was something wrong with Atobe knowing about his cousin. Something tugged at him fro the back of his mind, urging him to question Atobe, but he knew better. Even if he asked, Atobe would never give him the answer. Atobe was a man of great secrets. When he thought about it, through the years that he knew Atobe, he never actually intimately knew Atobe. He merely knew Atobe as the man who took him in for personal gains and the man who was the leader to fight club. Other than that, he knew nothing else. He didn't even know Atobe's age.

"You're curious aren't you? How I knew about it," Atobe stated as he set his book down.

Ryoma's lips twitched slightly and then he nodded his head.

"Easy. You didn't think I would just take in a random kid off the streets, did you? Of course I had some background checks on you. I found some interesting...things."

"Do you know what happened to her?" asked Ryoma before mentally cursing at himself. He hadn't meant to ask Atobe. It made him seem...vulnerable. He didn't want Atobe to know how desperate he was to find his last relative, to know if she was still alive out there somewhere.

"Ah, well that..." Atobe paused as though on purpose to make Ryoma squirm. It pissed Ryoma slightly. He growled in response to Atobe's long pause, but it seemed that was the reaction Atobe wanted. He saw the smile on Atobe's face as he turned to look at him with amused eyes. Atobe continued, "I don't know."

Ryoma huffed and turned again. He opened the door roughly, leaving the room. He slammed the door behind him and then made his way back down the stairs. Two weeks had passed since the dinner with Momo and his family. Since then, he had been meeting up with Momo to play tennis. Surprisingly, he thought Atobe would stop him, but the older man didn't. It was a little suspicious, but Ryoma chose to ignore. As he left the mansion, he quickly glanced up at the window where Atobe's room was located. Atobe usually had women over, but lately Atobe had seemed to grow tired of them. There were less parties and Atobe had grew quiet through out the investigations on him. He didn't know what was running through the man's head, but if he had to guess, it almost felt as though Atobe was purposely letting fight club go down. Frowning at the idea, Ryoma shook his head. After everything he had done for fight club and him, Ryoma didn't want to think that Atobe would just toss it away. Sighing, he hastened his pace to the tennis courts where he and Momo were suppose to meet.

Although it was cold, it was exhilarating to play tennis in the chilly weather. Ryoma and Momo were rallying against each for at least ten minutes now. To say that Momo was strong was an understatement. Ryoma acknowledged the power that Momo put into his hits. They were heavy against his racquet, but Ryoma was still able to return the hits. At the moment he was in the lead, but his rhythm broke when he noticed an approaching figure. Momo seemed to have noticed that his attention had gone elsewhere and caught the tennis ball instead. Ryoma stared through the chain linked fence as Fuji approached them. In a matter of seconds, he found Momo standing next to him as Fuji entered the courts and made his way over to him. As soon as Fuji was a few feet away, within hearing distance, Momo stepped in between them and glared at Fuji. Ryoma's lips quirked up slightly at Momo's behavior. It was nice to know that Momo was willing to stand up for him, but Ryoma placed a hand on Momo's arm and shook his head. He noticed Momo reluctantly back down and went back to standing besides him.

Fuji smiled at him before turning his gaze to Ryoma, "You have a good friend."

"I do," stated Ryoma bluntly, "Was there something you wanted?"

"I just wanted to talk to you. It's been...a while since we last met."

"I rather we didn't meet so soon...or again."

"That's harsh, especially after everything we went through."

Ryoma's lips thinned at the statement. Momo seemed to have noticed his tension because he was once again making his way back to step in between Ryoma and Fuji. Sighing, Ryoma stopped Momo. "It's okay," Ryoma said quietly, "If you don't mind Momo...I'll be going with Fuji."

Momo turned rigid, glancing at him briefly, "Are...you sure?"

"Yeah..."

"Alright. I have to meet up with Kaidoh anyways. See you later then?"

"Yeah."

Ryoma handed Momo the tennis racquet back to him before following after Fuji was who already walking to the court entrance. They left the tennis court, deciding to take a walk in the park. Now that he was no longer playing tennis, Ryoma shivered at the cold wind. He felt something warm and fuzzy wrap around his neck and he jolted slightly at the touch. Looking down at his neck, there was a scarf wrapped around his neck. He blinked once and then slowly looked up at Fuji.

"You looked cold," Fuji said with a smile.

Ryoma shrugged, but he didn't remove the scarf. It did warm him up and since Fuji did give it to him, he was going to take it. Wrapping his arms around himself, they continued to walk in silence. It was Fuji who broke the silence.

"How have you been?" asked Fuji.

"I'm fine," Ryoma replied.

Silence resumed between them again. Ryoma spotted a bench and nodded his head towards it. Fuji followed after him as he strolled to the bench and plopped himself down. Fuji sat next to him, but he didn't say a word. They let the silence grow as they stared at the water fountain. Finally, Ryoma shifted on the bench and asked, "I thought...we were suppose to be enemies?" he asked, a bit slowly.

Fuji chuckled at his question and then shrugged, "I'm not sure what we are anymore."

"That's a surprise. You're usually so sure about everything."

"If you want to think that we're enemies, then I guess we are, but I would like to think that we're...maybe, friends or more."

"Not friends...and not more than friends." Ryoma allowed a long pause to follow after. After a while, he hesitantly added while looking at Fuji, "But...not enemies either."

His words caught Fuji's attention because the next thing he knew, Fuji was leaning in toward him. He blinked and felt Fuji's warm lips against him. Ryoma drew back quickly, a blush making its way to his face. Fuji was smiling at him causing his stomach to flip. Looking away, Ryoma wiped his mouth with the back of his hands.

"Don't do that. If you do...we're not going to talk. I'll just walk out on you again," Ryoma warned.

"Sorry. It was just...tempting," Fuji said with a bit of amusement, "I won't do that again."

"I still haven't forgiven you."

"Then I guess I will have to work harder to make you forgive me."

"I don't think I'll forgive you that easily."

He noticed Fuji's hands clench into a fist. Ryoma opened his mouth to continue talking, but he was interrupted when Fuji turned to face him. "I want you...to look at me, not as the officer Fuji, but as Fuji Shusuke, he said, "in return, I will look at you, not as Echizen who is involved with the fight club, but as Echizen Ryoma. Let's put behind our differences whenever we're together like this. Is that okay? You don't have to forgive me either. I know it was wrong of me to lie to you. For that, I am truly sorry."

Ryoma stared at him for a while before glancing away. He slowly nodded his head, letting the silence assume its role once more. The sound of the water from the fountain drowned out all other noises. Neither spoke a word. They were satisfied with sitting beside each other. An hour had probably passed when Fuji got up from the seat. Ryoma's gaze followed him as Fuji turned to face him.

"I should get going. It was nice seeing you again," Fuji said as he turned to leave.

"Wait. Your scarf," Ryoma stood up and started to unwrap the scarf, but he stopped when Fuji's hand gently laid over his.

"Keep it."

Ryoma titled his head down slightly to hide the blush creeping onto his face once more. The subtle touches of Fuji were beginning to weigh on him again. It was a bad sign for him. He knew his body was craving for Fuji once more, but he wouldn't allow it. With the situation as it was, if he bedded with Fuji again, it would only complicate things. Besides, there was Shiraishi to worry about too. It was probably time he separated himself from Shiraishi. He waited till Fuji was out of sight before he made his way over to Shiraishi's house.

As he reached Shiraishi's apartment, he noticed the light on. He walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. He waited a few minutes before the door opened and Shiraishi was standing between the doorway. He noticed Shiraishi's eyebrows raise at the sight of him.

"Is it so shocking to see me?" Ryoma asked with an arch of his brow.

"...I'm going to be honest and say yes," Shiraishi said slowly, "I haven't seen you in a while. I thought I scared you off with key and all...you didn't even use it."

"Actually, I forgot it in my other pants. I wasn't scared off. I was busy."

"I guess...well, the police are investigating Atobe more fervently than before. Come inside. It's probably cold out there."

Ryoma stepped inside and took a look around the studio apartment. Nothing had changed since the last time he had been there. Taking seat on one of the cushion near the table, Ryoma took off the scarf and placed it beside him. Shiraishi returned from the kitchen with a cup of hot tea. Thanking him, Ryoma took the tea. He drank it, sighing in content as it warmed his body.

"So, what brings you here today?" asked Shiraishi.

"Just wanted to see you," replied Ryoma easily. He mentally cursed at himself for lying. He had become use to making it seem as though he loved Shiraishi, but in truth he really didn't. He came to that realization a few days ago when he was talking to Momo. It was a lot harder to tell the truth than to lie about it.

"Really?" asked Shiraishi, a bit skeptical.

Ryoma shrugged at Shiraishi and took another sip at the tea. He could feel Shiraishi's stare on him, analyzing and observing him, as though to see if he was speaking the truth or not. Looking up from the cup, he saw Shiraishi smile at him lazily. He was finished assessing Ryoma and had assumed that he was telling the truth. Ryoma mentally winced. He hadn't meant to make it seem like he was telling the truth. Inhaling slowly, Ryoma set the cup of tea onto the table and exhaled slowly. He cleared his throat and was about to tell Shiraishi everything when a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Ryoma quickly glanced down as Shiraishi's hand which was gripping his wrist tightly. He winced at the pain. Scowling, he glanced over to Shiraishi and frowned.

"That hurts," Ryoma growled out.

"Huh? Funny, I thought you were tougher than that," Shiraishi said in a low voice.

Ryoma scowled at him, trying to pull his hand away, but he was pushed down, "Let go of me Shiraishi."

"No," Shiraishi said in a harsh tone, "Did you think I wouldn't notice that you were wearing a scarf that didn't belong to you? Or, did you think that I wouldn't notice how infatuated you were with _Fuji_." Fuji's name spat out from Shiraishi's lips with hate.

Ryoma's eyes widened at the name. He remembered Shiraishi telling him that he had once called out to Fuji in his dreams. It would seem that Shiraishi finally found out who he was. He was surprise, after all, the both of them were working in the same field, but he didn't know why Shiraishi thought he was infatuated with Fuji. Fighting against Shirashi's hold, Ryoma growled out, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I saw you in the park today. You seemed content walking with Fuji. And then that kiss you shared. Your face was beet red...like a little virgin bitch as though you've never been kissed or fucked before."

Ryoma hissed at the insult. He thrust his knee up, hoping to toss Shiraishi off of him, but Shiraishi dodged his knee. Shiraishi pinned him down with one hand wrapped around both his wrist. Suddenly, Shiraishi grabbed a tie and tied his wrist together. Ryoma struggled against him, but he was backhanded across the cheek. The smack snapped his neck to the side. It stung painfully, but Ryoma didn't cry out. He glared at Shiraishi who was standing up now. Taking his chances, Ryoma tried to get up, but Shiraishi kicked him to the floor. Ryoma coughed at the kick to his stomach. Busily trying to catch his breath, he rolled over onto his hands and knees. Then there was a hand on his hair and he suddenly being pulled. Ryoma gritted his teeth together as Shriaishi dragged him across the floor by the hair. He felt himself being tossed against the wall. Ryoma cringed at the impact. His wrists were taken and another tie was wrapped around the first one. He felt his hands pull up as Shiraishi raised his hands over his head and tied them to one of the wooden table leg. Ryoma tried to kick him, but Shiraishi moved before his feet made contact with flesh. Growling, Ryoma tugged at his arms, but was unable to break free. To his horror, he saw Shiraishi grab his legs. It dawned on him that Shiraishi wasn't going to beat him into a pulp; Shriaishi was going to humiliate him by taking him by force. _Rape_. Ryoma scowled, thrashing his legs to avoid Shiraishi from spreading them, but his legs were caught. His pants were forcefully tugged off along with his boxers. Cold air blew against his nether region and he hissed at the coldness. There was another painful slap across his face, the opposite side of his cheeks. He hadn't even notice that Shiraishi had slapped him. Again, another slap, but harder. He was waiting for another slap, but instead, a fist came flying at him. Ryoma bit back a cry of pain. Blood dripped from his cut lips. He could taste the metallic blood in his mouth as he spat it out. He wasn't going to give Shiraishi what he wanted. Ryoma turned his gaze back to Shiraishi and he looked at him coolly.

"If you're going to rape me, then do it," he muttered in a low tone, "I won't give you the satisfaction of my voice in pleasure."

"Don't give me that look as though I'm dirty," Shiraishi growled out, "You're dirtier that me. You spread your legs like whore. What did you do to seduce a straight-lace man like Fuji? Spread your legs for him to fuck you? I bet you did that with Aotbe too so that he would allow you to stay with him."

It hurt him, but Ryoma didn't dare show an expression on his face. It would take a lot more to break his will. He felt his legs forcefully spread. He closed his eyes as he heard the sound of Shiraishi unzipping his zipper. There was no preparation for him as Shiraishi shoved his entire cock into him. Ryoma bit back a hiss. He kept his eyes close as Shiraishi thrust into him roughly. Against his own will, his body reacted to the thrusts. He could feel the sudden rise of his length, but he knew that his body was merely doing this out of protection. To seek pleasure from the rape was a way for the body to take away the pain. It wasn't as though Ryoma was enjoying it.

He heard Shiraishi's breathing become uneven. It came out fast and harder. Ryoma knew that Shiraishi was close to his climax. As he suspected, a few seconds later and Shiraishi came inside him. Ryoma opened his eyes slowly, hoping that it was over, but he was turned around to lie on his stomach. He was forced to get on his knees. It only took a few minutes before Shiraishi was hard again and he was once more pushing his erection into Ryoma. Shriaishi grunted with every thrust he made, but Ryoma remained silent. He bit his lower lips and took the pain and humiliation. He just wanted to get it over with.

He wasn't sure how many times Shiraishi raped him, but somewhere along the way, Ryoma had fallen unconscious. The pain was too unbearable and his body had shut down. He was in and out of conscious a little later when he heard Shiraishi mutter against his ear, "You're cruel." Ryoma suppressed the urge to comfort Shiraishi. He knew he brought this on himself. His eyes fell shut again and he was once again unconscious.

Around evening, Ryoma finally stirred. He opened his eyes slowly and sat up. His back was aching along with his hips. His wrists were red from the friction of the cloth against his skin. Wincing, he looked around the room and found Shiraishi sitting a few feet away.

"Get out of here," Shiraishi whispered, "I don't ever want to see your face again."

Ryoma didn't need another warning. He picked up his pants and slipped them back on. He could feel Shiraishi's semen sliding down his thigh and shuddered in disgust. Grabbing Fuji's scarf, he slowly made his way over to the door, leaving the apartment in silence. It was the worst possible way to part with someone, but there was nothing he could do. He limped his way back to Atobe's mansion. It was a lot harder to walk than he expected. He didn't make it until it was eight in the evening. He entered the mansion as quietly as possible, but he didn't get to avoid Atobe because the man was sitting at one of the couches, talking quietly to Kabaji. Their eyes locked and for a moment, Ryoma thought he saw concern in Atobe's eyes, but it disappeared quickly. He didn't need Atobe to tell him that he looked like a mess. He already knew. His hair was most likely all over the place, his face was probably bruised and there was still a hint of blood dried on his skin because he could feel it.

Before Atobe could ask him, Ryoma said in an expressionless voice, "I pissed off Shiraishi."

His words were enough to tell Atobe what had happened. Ryoma turned from Atobe's gaze and made his way up the stair slowly. He wanted to shower. He felt dirty and worst, ashamed. It was disgusting to know that he was taken by force and he was unable to stop it. Pushing the memory into the back of his mind, he quickly went to his room. After entering his room, he stripped himself of his clothes and tossed them into the trash can. He didn't even want to see the sight of the clothes. Walking into the bathroom, he turned on the shower, letting it run hot before entering. He cleaned himself thoroughly before stepping out of the shower stall. Letting the water drip from his body, he walked over to the counter. Reaching out with a hand, he wiped away the fog on the mirror and stared at himself in the mirror. The word dirty ran through his mind over and over. Anger coursed through him and he slammed his hands against the sink counter. One of his hand flung out and knocked over the toothbrush holder, scattering the items inside it. He took in deep breaths, calming himself. Out of no where, a wave of nausea rushed through him and he fell the floor, curling up in a ball. He knew that he had slept around a bit, especially when he was living on the streets, but never had he ever let himself be raped. It was the first time he felt the power of someone else over him. It wasn't fear that he felt. It was the humiliation that he was overpowered. Ever since he joined fight club, he was known as the undefeated champion. He never lost and every man that stood in his way, he defeated, but for once in his life he had lost in the power of strength. Gritting his teeth together, he stifled a cry. He wrapped his arms around himself for the long night to come.

The morning came faster than he expected. He had somehow managed to get to bed, but he was still naked. Groaning, he got out of bed and prepared himself for the day. His body was aching, but he forced himself to get up anyway. After dressing, he left his room and descended the long flight of stairs. He found Atobe sitting on the couch with a book in hand. Silently, Ryoma walked over to him and sat down beside him. The television was on, which was rare since Atobe never watched television. Ryoma stared at the image of a young woman in a blue suit speaking. It was on mute, but then the sound came on. Blinking in surprise, Ryoma glanced over to Atobe who was now holding the remote control, but still reading his book. Arching a brow, he turned his attention back to the television.

The woman had finished her other report and was beginning on another news report, "In other news, there had been a call from an anonymous caller, reporting that an officer in the police force was involved with illegal drug trafficking. We go to the head chief of the investigation live. Officer Tezuka, tell us what is happening so far."

The image flicked and Tezuka's face appeared. He was stoic as ever, but Ryoma could see a slight frown on his face. Tezuka started talking, but Ryoma tuned him out. He slowly turned his gaze to Atobe and saw the smirk on his face. At the sight of Atobe's smirk, Ryoma knew who the anonymous caller was. Atobe had turned Shiraishi in even though he was helping them.

"Why?" asked Ryoma.

Atobe's eyes flickered at him for a second before going back to the television. "Did you not want revenge? The man had his way with you. You're not the type to let that happen so easily."

For a second, Ryoma remembered that flicker of concern in Atobe's eyes when he had returned. It couldn't be true that Atobe did care for him just a bit.

"You didn't have to," Ryoma said slowly.

Atobe chuckle and shook his head, "Don't flatter yourself. I didn't do this for you. Shiraishi laid his hands on you. If he just raped you, I wouldn't care, but he decided that he should use you like a punching bag while you were tied up and unable to fight back. He touched you...my prodigy...my little undefeated champion."

Ryoma frowned and looked away. He should have known better. Atobe didn't do it because he cared fpr him. Atobe had done it because Shiraishi had touched his property; he had beaten Ryoma in the most unfair way without his permission. Standing up abruptly, Ryoma headed for the door. He heard Atobe calling out to him, but he ignored him and left.

Getting around Shiraish's house was difficult. The news reporters parked their vans outside of Shiraish's apartment and from he was standing, he could see Tezuka talking to a reporter. Cursing under his breath, he made his way around the camera. He was careful to not be seen. As soon as he made it around the apartment, he searched the alleys. The last he heard about Shiraishi, the news lady had mentioned that Shiraishi had escaped after being shot for being armed. The search for Shiraishi difficult with the police searching for him too. There were many times he had to hide himself to avoid being caught. Looking up at the sky as he hid behind a wall to avoid another oncoming cop, he noticed the gray clouds. Gulping slowly, he started his search again. Thirty minutes had passed before he found a slumped body against the wall of a dark alleyway. Ryoma cautiously walked over to the body and took a closer look. Shiraishi was sitting, with his back leaning against the wall and his hand covering the bullet wound on his abdomen. Ryoma quickly squatted next to him, running a hand through his hair. Shiraishi opened his eyes just as the first drop of rain landed on his cheeks, sliding down his face.

"It is an honor to see that you have come to see me die," Shiraishi spat in hate.

Ryoma silently looked at him and didn't mutter a word. He quietly knelt beside Shiraishi as the other man started to laugh, wheezing a bit.

Shiraishi continued talking, "I know who squealed on me. It was Atobe wasn't it? I should have known the moment that I bruised that pretty face of yours, he would come after me. Lucky aren't you? To have that man backed behind you because you let him fuck you. After all I did to help fight club, this is my thanks. I should have declined the moment I saw Atobe's eyes glint in amusement. I was a pawn for him. Shit...the bleeding isn't stopping...hah! This fucking sucks. This is how I'm going to die...in some unknown dark alleyway with the boy that I slept with who was pretty much opening his legs to everyone else. What a way to go..."

He heard Shiraishi take a deep breath and slowly reached out to take his hand, but Shiraishi brushed his hand away. He was muttering something about not wanting to be touched by something so dirty. Ryoma flinched at the words, but he still took the hand into his and gripped it tightly. Shiraishi stopped fighting him. He was merely taking in breaths, but they were becoming shorter. Ryoma tightened his gripped, tilting his head down

"Echizen? I can feel your hand...but I can't see you anymore," Shiraishi whispered.

The rain was pouring by now as though it was weeping for Shiraishi's death. Ryoma was drenched through, but he never left Shiraishi's side as his life slowly depleted from him.

"In my pocket..." Shiraishi said quietly, "my cell phone. Take it Echizen. If...they get their hands...on it...fight club...is over."

Ryoma looked at him with surprise. Even after the betrayal of Atobe and himself...even at death's door, Shiraishi was still helping them. Clenching his teeth together, Ryoma reached for Shiraishi's pocket and took out the phone. He slipped it into his pockets and returned to holding Shiraishi's hand. He heard Shiraishi laughing and shushed him softly.

"...can I...call you by...your first name?" asked Shiraishi quietly.

"...sure," Ryoma replied just as quietly as Shiraishi had asked him.

"Ryoma...how I longed to whisper that name when we made love...I really did...love you..."

Shiraishi drew his last breath. His eyes dilated and every life he had in him was gone. Ryoma loosened his grip on Shiraishi's hand. He leaned closer to Shiraishi and placed a kiss on his cold lips. He may have never loved Shiraishi the way he loved him, but he did care for him, even after being raped. He knew the base of Shiraishi's anger and he didn't blame the man. He drew away just as the sound of footsteps caught his attention. Looking up quickly to the approaching person, he stared into a pair of blue eyes.

"Echizen?" called out Fuji, "What-"

Before Fuji could even finish his question, they both heard the voices of oncoming polices. Ryoma was ready to be taken in, but Fuji quickly ran to him, taking him by the arm and pulled him away from the scene. He was brought into another alleyway that was covered in a tarp. Fuji pushed him against the wall and pressed his body against his. Hearing Fuji hush him, he did as he was told. Ryoma could hear the voices of the cops reporting into their radio that they had found his body. It was going to take a while before the cops left, so Ryoma shifted under Fuji's body. This caused Fuji to glance down at him while he stared up at him.

"What is...Shiraishi to you?" asked Fuji, almost hesitantly.

Ryoma knew that Fuji was afraid for the answer, but Ryoma spoke the word anyway, "Lover." He wasn't sure why he gave Fuji the answer he did. Maybe it was to spite him or maybe it was to see what kind of reaction he would get out of Fuji. The word hung in the air between them for a long time before Fuji dipped his head down and stole a kiss from Ryoma. Pressed against the wall with his hands stuck in between their bodies, he was unable to refuse the kiss. He felt the smallest flicker of Fuji's tongue against his lips and gasped. Suddenly, Fuji's tongue was sliding against his in a fluid motion. Ryoma tried to suppress a moan, but failed. He leaned into the kiss, wanting more of Fuji's sweet kiss. He felt Fuji's hand run down his face, landing on the sides of neck. His head tipped back, allowing Fuji better access to his mouth. Ryoma was dizzy from lack of air, but somewhere in the back of his head, there was a warning alarm sounding off. He needed to stop the kiss. It was wrong. After fighting for control, Ryoma finally freed his hands and pushed Fuji away.

"Stop," Ryoma said heavily in between pants, "We can't...do this..."

"They can't hear us through this rain," Fuji said huskily.

"No," Ryoma said firmly, standing his ground, "Don't cover everything that you did with kisses. I won't take that as an excuse."

"I wasn't...I'm a little angry that Shiraishi was your...lover."

Ryoma heard Fuji's voice crack at the word "lover." He stared at Fuji who was frowning. Ryoma glanced to the side, watching as the rain continued to pour. Rain droplets pattered against the tarp above them, lulling Ryoma into a relaxed mood. Without a second thought, Ryoma said, "He reminded me of you." He saw the startle movement in Fuji and slowly turned his gaze back to him. The way Fuji was staring at him caused a shiver to run through his spine. It wasn't from nervousness. Ryoma knew the feeling. It was excitement.

"How are we similar?" asked Fuji in annoyance, "Aside from the fact that he and I seem to have fallen for the same person."

"You both cared for me. He gave me a key just as you had did...to welcome me into his home, to give me a place to stay. Shiraishi...often had the same ideals as you, but after being involved with the underground world, his view was distorted. I realized after a while that maybe you two weren't alike as much as I thought," Ryoma whispered.

"...go on."

"You...make love to me with your eyes. He does not." Ryoma tipped his head down, unable to look Fuji in the eyes.

Fuji took a step forward, but Ryoma shifted on his feet. He glanced to the other side of the alley. He couldn't stay there any longer. The longer he stayed, the more he would want to tell Fuji everything.

"I have to go," Ryoma said as he turned to leave, but he felt Fuji's hand grab him.

"Why do you always draw away from me when you seem so ready to tell me everything?" Fuji asked.

"I have nothing to tell you. Let go of my hand."

"No. I won't let you go again. I've seen your back too many times. I don't want to see it again."

"Stop it Fuji. We live in two completely different worlds...you and I...can never understand each other."

"How can you know without trying?"

"Because I have. Unknowingly, I have...when I stayed at your place, when I allowed myself to kissed by you, but I was betrayed."

"How long will you accuse me of betrayal? I may have not told you who I really was, but there was never a time when my feelings were fake. From the very beginning, my feelings toward you were always true. How can you call that a betrayal? Even now, when all I want is to protect you."

"Prove it. Leave your job...and see the life that I have to live through."

He could see that Fuji was taken aback by his words. Silence ensued between them again. They stared at one another for a long time until Fuji broke away from the gaze.

"I...can't," Fuji replied.

Ryoma scoffed, "See? You can't even do this one thing for me."

"You're wrong. This is the only way to protect you. As long as I'm in the police force, I can vouch for you."

Ryoma drew his hand away quickly. He shook his head, unwilling to accept the answer. He turned and ran, feeling Fuji's gaze on him. Fuji's words echoed in his head. _"You're wrong. This is the only way to protect you. As long as I'm in the police force, I can vouch for you."_

* * *

Author's note: And here is the next chapter. Like I said, a character death. Poor, poor Shiraishi. Anyways, so the relationship between Fuji and Ryoma continues to develop, Momo stays in the story, and for a brief moment, we see the kinder side of Atobe, sort of. Next chapter will be up...later. I haven't started on it, though it will mainly focus on the relationship between Fuji and Ryoma. As usual, please review and of course...sorry if there are typos or mistakes. DX I'll fix them when I catch them after reading it over (many times).


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction has nothing to do with the anime/manga and never will be related to it at all. It has a different plot line and has nothing to do with tennis. It will contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence later in the story. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

**Ready-Fight! :** **The Promise****s**

After getting back tot he mansion, Ryoma went straight so sleep. He had changed into dry clothes, but even after changing clothes and sleeping off the shock and built up emotion inside of himself, he still woke up with an aching body and a huge headache. His body felt hot, but he was shivering. Ryoma groaned as he rolled to his side. He wanted to get up, but his body felt like lead. He could barely move and everything around him looked hazy. Forcing himself, he tried to sit up, but a sudden dizziness took hold of him and he flopped back onto the bed. Exhausted, Ryoma decided to go back to sleep. It only felt like minutes before he felt someone budging him awake. Ryoma opened his eyes groggily. He looked up at Atobe's fuzzy figure, unable to hear what he was saying. He tried to talk, but it only came out in a quiet, hoarse whisper. He gave up trying and sighed. He felt a cool hand on his forehead and frowned slightly. His vision cleared slightly, enough for him to see Atobe hovering over him with a hand over his forehead.

"A...tobe?" whispered Ryoma tiredly, "I feel...horrible."

"Of course you do," muttered Atobe in annoyance, "After running around in that rain and changing into dry clothes without even taking a hot shower and drying your hair, I'm not surprise that you ended up with a fever of a hundred and one point five degrees. Any higher than that and you might actually die...can't let that happen."

"My throat hurts...and I'm thirsty."

He could hear Atobe muttering to himself as he closed his eyes again. It was a brief moment when he felt something cool press against his forehead again. His eyes fluttered open. Glancing to the side, he saw a bucket of water. Next to it was a cup of water which he was craving to drink. Trying to sit up, his arms gave out and he fell back onto the bed. A moment later, he heard Atobe talking on the phone. The bed dipped when Atobe sat on the edge of it, running a hand through Ryoma's hair.

"Sit up," Atobe said as he helped him.

Ryoma sat up with the help of Atobe. He felt woozy and was ready to lie back in bed, but Atobe held the cup of water out for him. There was a straw inside, making it easier for Ryoma to drink the water. After a few gulps, Atobe helped him back into bed and then disappeared. Ryoma stared at the door where Atobe had went through and frowned slightly. It was weird to have Atobe caring for him. He didn't think the monkey king would have any heart to take care of someone else. He shifted his head and looked up at the ceiling. Ryoma stared at it as his mind wandered. He hadn't had a fever since he was young. At that time, it was his mother who was caring for him. He missed her home made porridge and her soft lulling voice that brought him into a peaceful sleep. He closed his eyes, letting sleep take over his body again.

As he slept, he dreamed of the day of his parents funeral. He remembered sitting on the cushion while friends of his parents wept. Nanako sat beside him, holding his hand tightly as she held back sobs, but was failing to do so. Then his dream shifted and suddenly he was back in the house where he lived with Nanako. It was empty and the lights were out. No one was home, but he thought that Nanako had probably just ran out to buy some groceries. Hours passed and midnight came, but she never returned. He felt something heavy fall inside of himself as he realized that Nanako had abandoned him. She didn't want him anymore, so she left. Ryoma was fighting back the tears. He was a boy and boys didn't cry. He tried so hard to fight the tears that were threatening to fall, but in the end he was crying loudly.

Again the dreamed shifted. It blurred and fizzled until Ryoma found himself in a dingy hotel. Ryoma cringed at the sight of the small twin bed with its dirty bed sheets. The floors were cracking and the walls were covered in stains. The light over head him was flickering and swinging back and forth. In the distance he could hear the sound of the train passing by. He shivered and looked down at his body. He was a ten year old boy again. He clenched his hands and looked back to the bed. He drawled on top of it, finding himself already stripped bare of his clothes. His body shivered from the coldness. He gulped back the lump in his throat, holding back the urge to vomit as his head began to spin. It was the first time he had prostituted himself out. It was only a few months after he left the house that he and Nanako had lived in. He met with an older kid who was living on the streets too and he taught Ryoma everything he knew. The first thing he told Ryoma was that money was everything. The only way to earn it was to let someone pay him for his body. Reluctantly, after a few months of training under the older boy, Ryoma found himself being taken into a hotel with an older man in his forties. It was why he was here, lying on the bed and holding back the urge to run.

The door to the bathroom swung open. Streams of steam floated out from the door as the old man stepped out. His hair wasn't quite gray yet, but his body was flabby with stomach that hung out and a hairy chest. It was the most disgusting sight he had ever seen, especially with the old man rubbing his erect cock up and down as he grinned at Ryoma. Ryoma shuddered and forced himself to smile seductively. The man came toward him, crawling onto the bed. He hovered over Ryoma, thrusting his hips down, crushing his small body. Ryoma stifled a yelp and tried to smile, but he could feel his smile shaking. He was afraid, but he had to go through with it if he wanted the money.

Suddenly, the man was on his feet on top of the bed and he was pulling Ryoma onto his knees. Without fighting back, Ryoma got onto his knees and sucked in a breath when his head was roughly pushed forward. The old man's erection entered his mouth and he gagged at the sudden intrusion. The man fucked his mouth, thrusting in and out without Ryoma doing the work. He pulled out and spilled his juice on Ryoma's face. He then commanded Ryoma to lick it off and he did. Ryoma, shakily, touched his face and wiped off the semen. He looked at his fingers briefly before he slowly glanced up at the old man while he opened his mouth and licked the semen off his fingers as seductively as possible. The sight of Ryoma doing such a thing, caused the old man to become erect again. Stubby, hairy fingers were running across his body as he lied against the bed. Then he felt it, the first penetration of the man's fingers in his hole. He screamed in pain, but the old man continued to thrust his digits, adding another one until Ryoma was fully prepared. Swiftly and without warning, the old man slid his whole cock into him. Ryoma screamed again, but his voice cracked. He bit back a sob and forced himself to moan as the man awkwardly thrust into him. Fifteen minutes later and the old man was spent with his semen splattered across Ryoma's abdomen and chest. Ryoma lied on the bed as the old man got up and dressed himself. His eyes slowly glanced over the brown end table where a stack of money was placed. The door closed with a thud, leaving him to cry silently to himself.

When he returned to the streets, the older boy who had taught him everything took him into an alleyway. It was the first time he felt the pain of a punch. He was on the floor in seconds, crying out for the other boy to stop, but the older boy didn't. Ryoma coughed as the boy kicked him hard in the stomach. He rolled over onto his back as the older boy smothered his foot on Ryoma's face. Ryoma looked up through half lidded eyes and saw the sneer the older boy was making.

"Dirty whore," spat out the other boy.

He felt hands rummaging through his clothes and suddenly, the heavy weight of the money he had earn was gone. Ryoma blinked and rolled onto his stomach, trying to stop the boy from taking the money he had earned. He grabbed onto the boy's leg, but the boy kicked his hand away and laughed. Ryoma sobbed as the boy ran away. He had threw away his pride and pulled all the courage he had to sell his body to an old man, but in the end the money he had made was stolen by the boy who he thought was a friend. Sitting up, Ryoma was surrounded in darkness. He was no longer the ten years old boy from back then. He was sixteen again, but he was all alone. Pulling his knees up, Ryoma wrapped his arms around them.

"Fuji," he muttered under his breath.

He called out to Fuji, repeatedly like a chant as though it was a spell to make Fuji appear before him. Ryoma tighten his arms around his knees as he continued to whisper the name. From the darkness, he heard a whisper. Ryoma looked up, but it was still dark. Unwrapping his arms, he tried to stand, but his body wouldn't move. There was another whisper again, but it was closer this time and it was calling out his name. His body stirred and then there was light.

Ryoma's eyes opened quickly. The sight of Fuji leaning over him with a concerned expression caught his breath. "Fuji? Why are you here?" he asked in puzzlement, "Am I...dreaming?"

Fuji chuckled at his question and shook his head, "No, you're not dreaming. I'm as real as I can get."

Ryoma stared at him and snuggled his head loser to Fuji. He was going to speak again, but Fuji hushed him. Cool fingers ran through his hair as Fuji cooed soft words at him. Ryoma closed his eyes and started rifting off to sleep again, but as he drifted into slumber, he felt Fuji shift on the bed.

"I'm surprise you called me here," said Fuji, "I didn't think you would let me into this house again after finding out that I was a cop."

"I didn't do it because I like you," Atobe said in a bland tone, "I only did it because that brat kept calling out your name. It was annoying, so I thought it would be best if I called you over."

"And you're not afraid that I could find evidence against you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I guess that's where Echizen learned his answer from. Always saying you don't know what I'm talking about. You're a bad influence on him."

"And you're not? From what I know, you can get fired and thrown in jail for touching a minor. Echizen is underage, but you touched him in inappropriate places with the mindset of what a pedophile would want: to have sex with him."

"...at first all I wanted was to get you put into jail, but when I saw Echizen for the first time in your bed with all his injuries...I wanted to take care of him. It started out with wanting to take care of him as a younger brother, but before I knew, I was yearning for him in a whole different way."

"That's disgusting."

"Not as disgusting as you...getting him into this kind of world."

"Getting him into this kind of world? If it wasn't for me, he would still be out on the streets, selling his body off, taking all different types of drugs, and probably get a disease by now. I saved him from that. I gave him shelter, food, and clothes. Maybe it wasn't the best way to live, but it's a lot better than the world out there. Out there, he didn't have anyone to rely on. And even if Echizen claims that he doesn't rely on me, in the end I'm the one that he returns to."

"I don't understand you. Atobe, you live in a mansion, you own a company that's doing well with international trading, and yet...you get yourself involved with the type of world that could bring down all your successes. Why get Echizen involved? You make it look like you don't care for him and yet at the same time, you do."

There was a long pause before Atobe started speaking, "Are you trying to make me confess? Because I have nothing to say. This thing you called fight club is a figment of your imagination. I have nothing to do with it because it's exactly as you said. I have a wonderful mansion with butlers and maids and I have a great company of which I am the CEO. I have a lot of things on my hand. I have to deal with my company to make sure I don't lose any profit. I have meetings to attend and plenty of other business related things. I don't have time to be involved with this fight club. But if you want to know why I act the way I do toward Echizen...let's just say...he and I are quite similar."

Ryoma wanted to hear more, but his body was telling to sleep. The voices drowned out and everything went silent as he finally fell asleep once more.

Ryoma jerked awake and stared at the empty ceiling. Blinking, he slowly sat up with ease. His headache was fairly gone with only a slight throbbing pain, but he felt a lot better now. He looked around the room, wondering if everything he had seen or heard was just a dream. His gaze fell on the door which opened suddenly. He was expecting Atobe, but the person who stepped through the door was the least person he would have expected. Fuji walked inside with a tray of food and medicine, balancing it with one hand as he closed the door. Ryoma tilted his head to the side and curiously watched as Fuji turned to face him.

"Oh, you're awake," Fuji said with a smile as he walked over to the bed. Ryoma eyed the plate of porridge on the tray which was being set down on the end table. "How are you feeling?" asked Fuji as he sat down on the bed next to Ryoma.

"Fine," muttered Ryoma, "Why are you here?"

"I thought I already told you." Fuji tilted his head slightly with an amused smile, "Ah, but I guess you might have forgotten. You were a little groggy."

Ryoma shook his head. "No, I remember...clearly. But why did you come even though Atobe called you?"

"Because I care." As if that one statement explained everything, Fuji grabbed the bowl of porridge and handed it to him, "Careful, it's hot."

Staring at the bowl, Ryoma slowly took it from Fuji's hand. Ryoma grabbed the spoon and ate a mouthful. He was hungry without even realizing it. Eating in silence, he finished the porridge within a few minutes. Handing the bowl back to Fuji who placed it back onto the tray, Ryoma adjusted himself into a more comfortable position. He looked back to Fuji who was now handing a glass of water and a pill. Ryoma stared at the pill and then made a face. Looking back up, he saw Fuji smile and looked away in embarrassment. He quickly took the pill from Fuji's hand before he could say anything and popped the pill into his mouth. Grabbing the glass of water from Fuji, he drank it, swallowing the pill along with the water. Fuji took the glass from him and set it beside the bowl. Ryoma watched Fuji take the tray away and return with a fluffy pillow. Arching a brow, he drew away from Fuji as he sat back down and leaned in toward him.

"I'm not going to do anything," Fuji assured him as he placed the pillow behind Ryoma to make him more comfortable.

Ryoma eyed Fuji suspiciously, but he couldn't find anything conspiring behind his closed eyes. "Thanks," Ryoma said quietly while leaning back on the fluffy pillow.

He didn't have much to say afterward, so Ryoma allowed the silence to swallow them. He fidgeted with his hands, taking a quick glance at Fuji. He seemed to be enjoying himself as he watched him. Ryoma shifted uncomfortably. It felt as though Fuji was undressing him with his eyes. Unable to withstand the silence any longer, Ryoma cleared his throat to break it.

"Are you doing this to get my forgiveness?" asked Ryoma blandly.

"Maybe," Fuji answered ambiguously.

Ryoma scowled at his answer, "Do you always answer so ambiguously?"

"Not all the time," Fuji said with raised brows, "I have given direct answers before...like right now."

"Right," Ryoma scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I see you're feeling much better now."

"Very much so."

Fuji gave him a knowing smile, but he turned away from it. If kept looking at Fuji, he was bound to be entranced. He kept his gaze away, but when he felt a small tap on his fingers, he looked back to Fuji. His eyes traveled down to his hand where Fuji's index and middle finger were tapping against his fingers. Ryoma felt his hand twitch at the touch. Slowly, he turned his hand so that his palm was facing up. He heard Fuji chuckle as he laid his hand over his. Ryoma closed his hands around Fuji's, intertwining their fingers. His gaze drifted back up, his eyes meeting with Fuji's blue eyes.

"What did you dream about?" Fuji asked as he scooted closer to Ryoma.

Ryoma thought about the question, debating if he should tell or not. He chose to tell Fuji, though he was a little uncertain if he was making the right choice. Ryoma closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again. "I dreamt about my past," he whispered softly, "I dreamt about my parents' funeral. I don't even remembered if I cried or not. Then I was dreaming about the day Nanako disappeared. And then..." Ryoma's voice faltered as he remembered his dream. He shuddered at the memory of his first time with a man. It was painful and disgusting.

"Then what?" Fuji urged gently, rubbing his thumb against the skin of his hand.

"I dreamt of the first time I slept with a man for money," Ryoma finished.

He noticed that Fuji went stiff and his thumb stopped moving. Ryoma turned his attention to the other, waiting for some kind of response, but Fuji didn't say anything. Instead, he felt Fuji place a chaste kiss on temple. Tilting his head to the side, Ryoma raised a questioning brow at Fuji, but Fuji shook his head at him. Then Fuji smiled and that all he needed to know; everything was fine. Ryoma relaxed, leaning onto the pillow for more comfort. He wanted the two of them to stay just the way they were, but he knew better than to wish for such absurd things. As though on cue, Atobe entered the room. His gaze immediately fell to their hands, which Ryoma noticed along with a frown. Before, Ryoma would have pulled away, but he was different now. He merely gave Atobe a cool smile. He didn't draw his hand away, rather he tighten his hold on Fuji's hand. _Be selfish_. It was what Momo had told him and he was going to do just that.

"You two seem comfortable," Atobe said as he leaned against the wall.

"We are," Fuji said with a smile.

"If you're done here Fuji, it would be best if you leave."

Ryoma looked at Fuji and smirked, "Stay."

He could feel Atobe's gaze burning into him, but he didn't falter, even when Fuji's turned his wide eyes at him. Ryoma was enjoying this rebellious side of himself.

"Are you sure?" asked Fuji with surprise.

"Uh-huh. Stay for dinner," Ryoma said as he turned his gaze to Atobe who was glaring at him, "After all, Fuji took time out of his busy schedule to be here so I would shut up and you wouldn't have to deal with it. Besides, I'm quite sure it was Fuji who made that porridge over there. You should at least thank him"

He could see Atobe wreathing in anger, but Ryoma tipped his chin up and gave him an amused smile.

"Fine," Atobe growled out, "But he leaves after dinner."

Ryoma smirked at his victory. He turned to look at Fuji just as Atobe stormed out of the room. It was his first victory and he was savoring it. Even Fuji's surprised expression made him feel a lot better.

"Does...this mean you forgive me?" asked Fuji carefully.

"Nu-uh," Ryoma said, "I did that just to spite him."

"I see...and why is that?"

"Personal issue."

Ryoma shrugged and tried to get out of bed, but even though he felt better, it was still hard to walk. Fuji had to help him by holding his arm as they went down the stairs. They made it to the dining room without a problem. Dinner was already laid out before them as they sat down beside each other. Atobe was at the end of the table, ignoring them. Dinner passed peacefully, which was a surprise to Ryoma as he was sure that Atobe would react to Fuji, but he didn't. However, he did taste the tension in the air. After dinner, as Atobe had ordered, Fuji had to leave. Walking him to the door, Ryoma opened it for him. Fuji thanked him as he walked through the door and turned to face him.

"That was...an interesting dinner," Fuji said amusingly.

"It was boring," Ryoma stated bluntly, "But...it was different."

"Of course."

"Well then...bye."

Ryoma was about to close the door when Fuji suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm. He turned back to Fuji and waited for him to say something. When Fuji didn't speak, Ryoma sighed while rolling his eyes. "Is there something you need?" he asked.

"You...really haven't forgiven me?" asked Fuji.

"...I-"

"Never mind. Don't answer...of course you haven't. After lying to you like I did and trying to use you to get to Atobe...you won't forgive me that easily. But...what does this mean? What do we have?"

Ryoma slowly raised a brow at Fuji's question. "I don't know. Aren't you the one who usually...knows this? We're not friends, we're not lovers, but I don't think we're enemies either."

Fuji released his hold on him and shifted on his feet, "So...acquaintances?"

"More than that though," Ryoma muttered thoughtfully, "After the make out sessions we had, definitely more than acquaintances."

"Sex buddies?"

"Definitely not."

He heard Fuji sigh in frustration, causing his lips to quirk up slightly. "We're merely Echizen Ryoma and Fuji Shusuke. Two humans...who are trying to understand each other. That's it."

Fuji chuckled at his explanation and with a shake of his head, said, "Really now...that's too simple. I thought it would be more complicated."

"Not really," Ryoma said with a shrug.

"You really haven't forgiven me? The way how we ar-"

Huffing in annoyance from Fuji's persistence, he rolled his eyes, tipped forward on his toes, and placed a kiss on Fuji's lips, shutting him up. It was suppose to be a quick peck, but he was lured in by Fuji's tongue flicking out, licking his bottom lips. He moaned into the kiss, pressing his body forward as he opened his mouth to allow Fuji's tongue slide in. It was a slow and sensual kiss, one that sent sparks of electric through his whole body. Ryoma was the first to pull away for air. He took a deep breath and looked lazily at Fuji.

"You're sure we're not more than friends?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma laughed lightly, "I'm really sure. By the way, don't blame me if you get sick." He pulled away from Fuji and cleared his throat while adjusting his wrinkled clothes. "I don't know if I can forgive you, but as long as you never mention this thing about Atobe and me being involved with this fight club...I'll think about it."

"So, you're not going to ask me to quit my job again?"

"No...it's important to you just as..." Ryoma paused as he regarded the mansion, "just as how this place is important to me. You and I may have different views, but I think we can put aside our differences and get along as long as we don't accuse each other of things."

"I can do that..." he heard Fuji say as the older man took his hands into his, "but you realize that even though we ignore what our differences are...it doesn't change my goal. I'm still going to take down Atobe."

"I know," Ryoma said with a curt nod of his head, "I promise you that I won't...accuse or hate you for what you're doing. Whatever the outcome is...we'll see what happens from there."

"Okay...then I promise you that I won't ever use you as means of trying to get Atobe into jail and...as you said, whatever the outcome is...I promise that I will always protect you."

Although the promise of protection sounded nice, Ryoma doubted that Fuji would be able to. Tezuka didn't seem to like him as much. He was sure that they would find a way to throw him into juvie. Despite that, he nodded his head and agreed. Fuji released his hands and turned, walking down the path toward the gate. Closing the door, Ryoma headed into the living room. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Atobe sitting on the couch with his back facing him. He turned slightly, heading to the stairs, but he didn't get pass Atobe.

"You're a fool," he heard Atobe mutter.

"I'm not a fool," Ryoma said without turning to look at Atobe.

"Yes, you are...what makes you think that someone like you, who is directly linked to the fight club, would ever get along with someone who is fighting against it?"

"...I don't know."

"You're being led by your emotions."

"So what if I am?"

"Nothing good ever comes out of that."

"Then so be it."

"You're willing to be with someone who may destroy the life you have been living in till now."

"...maybe."

"Your differences, even with all those empty promises you made with each other, will tear you apart."

"Then release me." Ryoma turned to face Atobe who was now looking at him, "Let me go and if you must, kill me afterward."

They stared at one another in silence. For a moment, he thought Atobe would say something else, but the other man turned his back to him. Seeing as that was the end of their conversation, Ryoma returned his attention to returning to his room. He was half way up the stairs when he heard Atobe say to him, "I'll give you three days to make up your mind. Choose who you will side with...and if by then you're still not sure, I'll make the choice for you."

* * *

Author's note: Fast update (I'm on a roll, but I get the feeling that I'll eventually stop updating this fast, haha)...but a short chapter. DX So, the development of Fuji's and Ryoma's relationship is beginning to build. So far...they have only established a common ground, but the next few chapters will focus on growing that relationship.

Soooo, there was a bit of information about Ryoma's past. Also...we get a little insight into Atobe's life and past (though not that much). And, this concludes chapter 16. Look forward to the next chapter with plenty of Fuji and Ryoma interaction.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction will not be related to the anime/manga. It will contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

* * *

**Ready-Fight! :** **Day One**

A loud bang stirred Ryoma from his sleep. Frowning, he strained his ears to hear the conversation of the raising voices. One of them belonged to Atobe, but he couldn't tell who the other belong to. When the voices didn't lower, Ryoma grew frustrated and sat up in bed. He ran his fingers through his hair as he swung his feet over the side of the bed. He waited for a few seconds to clear his mind before getting up and leaving the room. He took one step out into the hallway and was immediately met with a pleading voice. "I know I made a mistake, but please! I beg you, Mr. Atobe. I will fix the mistake, just don't fire me. I promise it will be fixed by today," begged a man who was practically kneeling before an annoyed Atobe.

Ryoma arched a brow at the sight. He leaned against the wall and watched as the man continued to plead. Taking a closer look, he noted that the man was in his mid-twenties with brown hair. He wore a beige suit, but it looked disheveled. He eyes traveled up and met with Atobe's. They stared at each other for a second and then Atobe brought his gaze back to the man. "Alright, I'll give you a second chance, but Mr. Yoshino, I won't forgive you a second time," Atobe said in a cold professional voice.

The man thanked him, quickly standing. He turned to run down the stairs, but as he did, Ryoma's gaze met with his. At the first the man looked surprised to see him, but then Ryoma noticed the surprised look turn into a look of disgust. The man swiftly descended the stair and was escorted out the door by Kabaji. Ryoma's gaze drifted back to Atobe. "Quite a way to wake up," Ryoma said, "An employee of yours?"

"None of your business," Atobe said.

"Of course not...it's probably the reason why I never knew what you did for a living even after all the years of living with you and being under your care. I never watched television, never went on the internet, and never really read the newspaper. Surprisingly, I got this far without knowing a thing."

"Your own fault."

"How come there aren't any paparazzi around?"

"I'm friends with most of the newspaper companies. I make sure they never come here to invade my privacy."

"I see."

Ryoma turned away and started to head back to his room. When Atobe mentioned that he was friends with the newspaper companies, he knew immediately that he was doing illegal transactions with them. It was either drugs or bribery. Whatever it was though, Ryoma wasn't going to pry. It was Atobe's business to handle his own business. Sighing, he closed the door behind him and slumped against it. Today marked the first day of Atobe's words from last night. Biting his lips, his gaze flickered to his cell phone on top of the end table. If he wanted to figure out which side he was going to choose, then the best plan was to find out who was better to be with. Taking a breath, he walked over to the end table and picked up his cell phone. He wasn't even sure if Fuji was working. Deciding to take a chance, he dialed Fuji's house phone. It took three rings before a woman answered. Sucking in a breath, Ryoma kept quiet as the lady on the other line became confused. Suddenly, in the background he heard Fuji's voice.

"Who is it?" asked Fuji.

"I don't know. No one is answering. Probably a prank call," said the lady.

"Hmmm...here, let me answer it...hello?"

Ryoma's grip tightened around his cell phone as he heard Fuji's voice clearly. He gulped and then answered, "Hey."

"...Echizen?"

"Yeah."

"Did the person answer?" the lady asked, but her voice sounded farther away.

"Yeah. Sorry about that Sis. It's someone I know. He was probably too shy to answer since he didn't know who you were," Fuji replied.

"Oh. Well, you can tell him that I don't bite."

"Heard that?" asked Fuji with amusement.

"Yes," Ryoma grumbled.

"Was there something you need? I believe this is the first time you ever called me."

"I was wondering if you wan..d...o...ut." Ryoma mumbled the rest, a little embarrassed to ask Fuji out. However, his mumbling didn't seem to reach Fuji.

"What? I can't hear what you're asking," Fuji said.

"I said, I was wondering if you want...t...ay."

"Echizen...you're going to have to stop mumbling if you want me to understand what you're saying."

Ryoma huffed and frowned, "I said, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me today."

He huffed again, finally saying the words that he dreaded to hear coming out of his own mouth. He never expected that there would be a day where he was actually asking Fuji out. Though, it wasn't as if he was asking Fuji out on a date. He just wanted to hang out...like friends. He wanted to get to know Fuji like how he got to know Momo. Last night he had said that they weren't exactly friends, but they weren't exactly acquaintances either. So, today he wanted to take that step into becoming friends. Of course, they had established a boundary and that boundary would probably put a strain on their relationship, but he decided it was worth a try. The boundary line between them was thin and fragile, one that could break easily, but Ryoma was determined to keep that line intact. And if they ended up over stepping that boundary line, then it was time for Ryoma to retreat. It sounded simple enough for him to handle. Besides, he wanted to be with Fuji. The older man always seemed to have a calming effect on him. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get used to it, but Ryoma yearned for that warmth.

"Like a date?" Fuji said, startling Ryoma from his thoughts.

"Wha-? No! Not a date...just...hanging out," Ryoma said.

"...hanging out? Like friends?"

"...yes."

"I thought you said that yesterday we weren't exactly friends."

"Well today, we can make that step."

He frowned when he heard Fuji chuckling on the other line. He was being serious, but it seemed that Fuji thought he was joking. "I'm serious," Ryoma said into the phone with the most serious tone he could give. Fuji's chuckled broke into a fit of laughter. Grunting, Ryoma grumbled, "If you continue to laugh any more, I'm canceling this whole thing and I'll hang up on you."

"Haha, ss-sorry. It's just...that was so cute," Fuji said amusingly.

Ryoma glared even though Fuji could not see, "Just to let you know, I'm glaring. Just picture me glaring at you. And, it's not cute. Don't call me cute."

"Right, sorry. So, where did you want to meet?" asked Fuji.

"The cafe again?"

"Okay. In another hour then?"

"Sure."

After they planned out when to meet, Ryome hung up and tossed the phone onto the bed. He sighed and flopped onto the bed, beside the cell. Burying his face into the soft fabrics of the blankets, he groaned loudly. It was the worst phone conversation he ever had. Fuji always had a way of irking him when he teased, but at the same he also had a way of making Ryoma relax. His mind flickered to the moments when they were embracing and how easily he melted into those strong arms. Shuddering, he rolled onto his back, placing his arms across his forehead as he stared at the ceiling. Fuji was special. He knew already that somewhere deep inside his emotions, Fuji had become a significant figure in his life. He hated to acknowledge it, but it was true. There was no point in denying it anymore. Closing his eyes, the memories of the days he spent at Fuji's house flickered through his mind. The gentle touches, the soft whispers, and the warm kisses were something Ryoma had never experienced with anyone, at least not that intimately. It was as though Fuji had become a part of him. He shivered, rolling onto his side. Opening his eyes again, he stared at the headboard of the bed. Although he knew Fuji was special and acknowledged it, he was not ready to dwell any deeper. He wasn't ready to find out what was so "special" about him.

Sighing, he sat up, deciding that it was time to get ready to meet up with Fuji. It took a few minutes to get ready and in another fifteen minutes, he was out the door. Walking to the cafe, or anywhere, was always comforting. He had time to think to himself without feeling suppressed. The world was big and he was free to roam where he wanted. Free like a street cat. Smiling slightly, he tipped his cap down and hurried on his way to the cafe.

Entering into the cafe, he realized he was half an hour early. It was packed, so he decided to take a seat before they all filled up. He sat by a window, facing the door so that Fuji could see him when he entered. Drowning out the chattering of the people around him, he propped his elbow onto the circular, light brown table, balancing his chin in the palm on his hands while he stared out the window. He watched as people walked by, laughing and talking. He took note of a man in a business suit, talking away on his cell phone, smiling affectionately. A group of young boys and girls in their school outside walked by, obscuring his view for a moment. His gaze drifted to one of the boys and immediately their eyes locked. For one brief moment, Ryoma wondered what it would be like if he had a normal life like the other boy. He would be going to school; probably even playing tennis. The mental image disappeared and Ryoma's gaze drifted away. The group passed by him and disappeared into the crowd.

He was drifting in and out of thoughts when he heard the drag of a chair being pulled. Glancing up, his gaze fell on Fuji who was already sitting down. "Hi," Fuji greeted with a smile.

Ryoma nodded in acknowledgment. They took a few minutes to order some food and drink before returning their gaze to each other. A comfortable silence fell over them as they allowed the noises around them envelop them. Ryoma shifted in his seat, fiddling with fingers for a second. "So, that was your sister?" he asked.

Fuji smiled at him and nodded. "The one with the frilly apron."

Ryoma's right eye twitched slightly. A slow blush crept across his face as he remembered wearing the apron and falling asleep in it. "Shut up," he grumbled, "I'm going to leave if you mention that again."

Fuji chuckled, "Right, sorry. But I do have to say, frilly aprons fit you."

Growling, Ryoma glared at him, "Don't push it."

Just then, the waiter came by with their drinks, preventing the conversation to continue. Ryoma sighed in relief inwardly, thankful for the distraction. Wrapping his hand around his cup of juice, he sipped on the straw silently. He tilted his head down and glanced up, staring at Fuji from under his bangs. The older man was quietly drinking his coffee while looking out the glass window. A stream of sunlight filtered through the glass, caressing Fuji's smooth, ivory skin. His light-brown hair seemed to shimmer against the light. For one brief moment, Ryoma saw Fuji's blue eyes, staring into the distance, before disappearing again behind his eyelids. He caught himself staring and quickly looked back down. He chewed the tip of his straw, forcing himself to rid of Fuji's image in his head which was proving a lot harder than he thought. It was captivating, but he wasn't going to admit that aloud.

"We should play tennis together some times," Fuji said, breaking him from his thoughts.

Ryoma released the straw from his lips and looked up at Fuji. He shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, but…why all of a sudden?"

"I was a little jealous of Momoshiro."

Ryoma raised a brow at Fuji.

Fuji seemed to hesitate for a second before answering him, "The way how he easily stood up for you…I envied that. I want to be able to do that for you too, but it seems I only cause you more trouble. Momoshiro stood by you and I wish I had done the same when…you asked me to-"

"I thought we weren't going to talk about this."

"I know, but…sorry. Let's talk about something else."

Nodding his head, Ryoma took another sip of his drink. Fuji started off the conversation and they ended talking about many things, from their family to their hobbies and likes and dislikes. It was odd to Ryoma that he enjoyed it, even though more than half the time he was just listening to Fuji talk. He only talked when Fuji asked him a question and that didn't happen often. However, Fuji didn't seem to mind that he was barely talking. Ryoma was glad for that because he loved heard hearing Fuji talk. He could see himself falling asleep to his soothing voice.

"Should we go somewhere else?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma blinked, confused for a second.

"We've been here for about two hours already. I think the waiter is getting a little annoyed," Fuji said, nodding his head slightly over to the waiter.

Glancing over in the direction of the nod, Ryoma noticed the waiter looking in their direction every few seconds. Ryoma shrugged and stood up. He was about to head over to the cashier when Fuji stopped him. Raising a brow at the older man, he tilted his head questioningly.

"I'll pay for it," Fuji said.

Ryoma would have refused it, but seeing that Fuji was being very serious about it, he let it go. He waited by the door while Fuji finished paying for their drinks. After the payment, they left the café. Ryoma debated in his head where to go next, but in the end, decided to let their feet find their way. They walked together with no destination in mind, talking as they went along. Well, Fuji did the talking and Ryoma listened. By evening, they stopped by a park and sat down on a bench. Ryoma leaned back against the bench, staring at the water fountain.

"I'll get us some drinks from the vending machine," Fuji said as he got up.

Romya nodded, watching him as he turned to leave. He turned his attention back to the fountain, tipping his cap downward a bit. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed a couple kissing. His eyes flickered over to them and then back to the fountain. It took him three seconds before he realized the couple was two men. Ryoma slowly brought his gaze back to them and stared as the two men shared a passionate kiss. Blushing, he turned away again. He mentally scolded himself for staring at them. It wasn't like he's never seen two people kiss. He was around Atobe a lot and he was always witnessing the man kiss girls. Ryoma tried his best not to look, but he found himself glancing at them every now and then. One moment they were holding hands, the next they were hugging. Ryoma licked his bottom lips, tapping his foot against the concrete floor. He turned his gaze in the direction of where Fuji went, wondering why it was taking Fuji so long. Suddenly, he noticed another couple who just happened to be two men as well. His eyebrows rose slightly. Ryoma took the time to look around and began to notice gay couples everywhere. He gritted his teeth together, closing his eyes as though forcing the physical surrounding away. A hand on his shoulder caused his eyes to flutter open. He was about to ask Fuji what took him so long, but he realized the hand on his shoulder didn't belong to Fuji. Ryoma's eyes drifted up and locked with a stranger's eyes.

"Hello there," the older man greeted, "Are you alone?"

Ryoma never got the chance to reply as the man seated himself next to him. He was grinning, dragging his eyes up and down Ryoma's body. Ryoma felt a shiver run down his spine. His mind was telling him to get away, to run from the man. He stood up abruptly, about to do what his brain was telling him to when a thick hand grabbed his arm. The man tugged him back down onto the bench.

"Come on, why don't you and I just talk for a bit?" asked the man.

Shaking his head, Ryoma stood up again, but the man held onto his arm tightly. Ryoma inhaled slowly, closing his eyes and tried to calm himself, but the longer the older man insisted, the more he became annoyed. Growling under his Ryoma, tightened his free hand into a fist. He was ready to knock the living daylights out of the older man. His hand was already lifting into the air when he suddenly felt another hand grab onto his fist. Ryoma whirled his head around, a scowl plastered on his face. An angry retort was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it when he saw Fuji's sapphire eyes. However, Fuji wasn't looking at him; he was glaring at the older man holding onto Ryoma's arm.

"He's with me, so please release him," Fuji said.

"Why should I do what you asked?" the older man asked.

"Sir, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you."

"Whatever, man. I bet you saw him and just wanted a piece of him."

Ryoma was glaring at the man again. Beside him, he could hear Fuji rummaging through fabric. Frowning, he turned his head sideways to look at what Fuji was doing. He noticed Fuji pull out a wallet and then flip it open so the man could see. As soon as the man saw the badge, Ryoma felt the man release his arm. Dumbfounded, he allowed himself to be dragged away by Fuji. When they were far enough, Ryoma turned a questioning gaze at Fuji. "What was all that about?" he asked.

"I just showed him my badge," Fuji said with a shrug.

Speechless, Ryoma scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you just took advantage of your power of authority."

"It works. And, yes, I took advantage of it…in a justifiable way. The man was preying on a minor and I did my duty in protecting an innocent civilian."

"And you're saying you're in the right even though you and I have done a lot more than holding hands and I'm minor."

Fuji stopped in his tracks causing him to stop too. Ryoma stared at the back of Fuji's head, waiting for a response as he slowly counted in his head. A full minute passed before Fuji answered. "You're right. There's no excuse for that," he said and released his hand on Ryoma.

Smirking, Ryoma nudged Fuji's arm with his elbow. "Don't feel too guilty." He laughed quietly and walked ahead of Fuji. He could hear Fuji shuffling behind him, following him as he led the way. He was halfway leading them out of the park when he felt something cold press against his cheek. Jumping at the coldness, Ryoma turned his head and stared at the ponta juice. He took the can of juice, looking up at Fuji who was smiling at him. Ryoma returned the smile with a small one of his own. He popped open the can and took a gulp of it. He started walking again with Fuji walking beside him. They silently walked side by side, enjoying the silence between them.

In the end, they decided it was time to end their outing. Fuji walked him back to Atobe's house even though he tried to persuade Fuji not to, but Fuji wouldn't relent. Sighing, Ryoma had finally agreed and so, he returned to Atobe's with Fuji by him. Stopping in front of the gates, Ryoma turned to face Fuji.

"So, today was…good," Fuji said, "We should do this more."

Ryoma nodded in agreement, letting the comfortable silence fall between them again. He backed up against the gate, readying himself to turn, but Fuji suddenly took a step forward, pinning him against the gate. Ryoma's gaze flicked up. He stared into Fuji's eyes, falling into a trance as he stared into his beautiful blue eyes. He caught his breath as Fuji leaned in closer. Feeling Fuji's hot breath against his skin, he shivered from the pure pleasure. His eyes slid half way close as he unconsciously leaned toward Fuji's warmth. He pressed his body against the other, wanting more than just the feel of Fuji's breath. He wanted to feel him on his skin. A shuddering sigh from Fuji made him tilt his head up. Their lips were inches away, almost brushing each other. All he needed to do was lean closer and their lips would touch. He would be able to feel Fuji's lip, taste his sweetness that was so addicting. Ryoma was caught up in the moment, but it swiftly died when Fuji pulled back. Blinking, Ryoma silently gasped and pressed his back against the gate. He glanced down and tried to regain his composure. A hand running through his hair brought his gaze back up. Fuji was brushing his locks of hair and smiling at him.

"Goodbye Echizen. I'll see you again," he said quietly.

Nodding his head, Ryoma turned and quickly entered through the gate. He briskly walked down the path, not daring to look back. He slammed the door behind him as soon as he entered the house and ran up the stairs. Fuji's face kept running through his mind even after he was gone. Growling in frustration, Ryoma entered his room and slammed the door. He locked it and went straight for the bed. Taking the pillow on top of the bed, he smothered his face against it and screamed. He wanted Fuji so badly. Cursing under his breath for admitting the truth, he tossed the pillow aside and flopped on top of the bed, his cap falling off as he landed on the bed. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, panting harshly. He realized, maybe a little too late, that it was more than just wanting. Ryoma needed Fuji. He needed Fuji by his side, needed him to touch him and reassure him that everything was okay. He needed Fuji to fill him to the brim, physically and emotionally…but it wasn't possible. For Fuji to be next to him, he would have to give up everything in his life, fight club and his loyalty to Atobe; everything he's believed in and lived for. Sitting up, Ryoma stared at the blank walls. A sighed escaped his lips as he ran his fingers through his hair. He still had two more days to think about it—two days to think about which side he was going to choose. Although he knew in his heart where he wanted to be, logically, he couldn't.

Ryoma crawled to the edge of the bed, swinging his feet over it. His feet padded against the carpet as he crossed the room to reach the door. Opening it, he stepped out of his room. He was heading back down stairs when a noise from Atobe's room caught his attention. He veered himself away from the stairs as he looked over to Atobe's closed doors. Hesitantly, he took a step in the direction of the door. Slowly, he walked toward, making sure to be as quiet as possible. Standing in front of it, Ryoma pressed his ear against it, listening for anything strange. A loud crash caused him to jump back. It took a second for him to regain his composure. He reached for the doorknob, but stopped abruptly when he heard Atobe's voice.

"I fucking gave you a chance to fix it and you come back to me telling me that you couldn't even fix one damn relationship with Y Corp?!" Atobe said, his voice rising in anger.

"I'm sorry Mr. Atobe! I…I tried, but they wouldn't listen to me," replied another voice whom sounded very familiar.

"Mr. Yoshino…get out of my sight."

"Nn-Mr. Atobe! Please, give me another chance. I can't…I can't lose my job now! I just got engaged. Please, my fiancée would never accept this!"

"Maybe you should have thought about that and tried harder. Do you understand what you just cost me by losing Y Corp as a client? Profit _and _credibility. Foreign companies will look at me in a different way now. I don't need a useless employee. Now get out of my sight."

Ryoma could hear the anger in Atobe's voice even without him raising his voice. In fact, it was near growl, a tone that would scare off any man.

"Please! I'll do anything as long as you don't get rid of me!" begged Yoshino.

There was a long pause and Ryoma hadn't even realized that he was holding his breath in anticipation. He released a slow exhalation, stepping closer to hear. He heard a shuffle and then the sound of the bed squeaking. Frowning, Ryoma tried to read what Atobe was up to.

Atobe's voice eventually broke the silence, "Anything?"

"Yes…yes, anything," Yoshino said.

Atobe paused and then spoke again. Ryoma could hear the smirk in his voice without even seeing his expression.

"Then give me your body," Atobe suggested.

"What? Mr. Atobe, I can't…I didn't think _you were_…I'm engaged," Yoshino said, stumbling over his words.

"So? You said you would do anything right? Well, if you don't want to, then I guess that's farewell to your job."

"No…I…okay."

Ryoma flinched as he heard Yoshino agree. He almost felt sorry for the guy. Sighing, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. From behind Atobe's closed door, he could hear Yoshino whimpering. The soft rustles of clothes blended in with his voice. Ryoma could imagine in his head how Atobe was torturing the other man, doing it slowly and deliberately to humiliate him. The bed squeaked again. He could hear Atobe muttering, but he couldn't catch the words. A moan drifted through the door and then a pained gasp. Ryoma shuddered and walked away from the door. He couldn't bear to stand there any longer. Hearing another man be forced against his will to have sex reminded him too much of his past. As he walked down the stairs, he could hear Yoshino's moaning voice, calling Atobe's name over and over.

He was sitting on the couch when the heard Atobe's doors open. Soft footsteps traveled down the stairs as whispering voices got louder. Ryoma turned around, watching as Atobe pushed Yoshino against the stair rail. Yoshino seemed to shiver in fear, but he sighed in content and pressed his body against Atobe. Arching a brow, Ryoma watched in interest as Yoshino moaned into a fevered kiss. He didn't expect that to happen. When Yoshino pulled away, his lips were red from the kiss. His eyes were hazed over with lust as he rolled his hips against Atobe, mewling in pleasure. Rolling his eyes, Ryoma cleared his throat. Yoshino immediately stopped what he was doing. A blush formed on his cheeks as he realized that Ryoma was watching them. The embarrassment eventually turned into a scowl. Smirking, Ryoma waved at Yoshino who growled and pushed Atobe away before storming out the door. Ryoma lazily brought his gaze to Atobe. "That guy has the hots for you," Ryoma said.

"I know," Atobe said as he turned and leaned against the stair rail, "probably the reason why he messed up the relationship with Y Corp. He wanted attention from me."

"So he wasn't forced into sex after all. And here I was feeling sorry for his ass."

"Eavesdropping were you?"

"Well, you two were so loud, I couldn't help but listen. Anyways, I thought he was engaged."

"He is, but it looks like his engagement is a farce, at least that's what he said in bed. He doesn't want people to know he's gay, so he covered it up with an engagement."

"Huh, he's a pretty good actor then. So I guess the look he gave me this morning and just now was because…he's jealous?"

"Apparently so. He said he didn't understand why I kept you around when I could have something better and I do have to say, he's got a lovely asshole. Tight and hot, just the way I like it."

"I do not need to know that information."

"And he gives an amazing blowjob! Wet and sloppy-"

"Shut up!"

Ryoma groaned as Atobe laughed. Clucking his tongue, he stood up and headed for the stairs.

"Have you decided yet?" Atobe asked.

Ryoma stopped and stared at Atobe. He shook his head to which Atobe glare at him. Shrugging his shoulders, he brushed off Atobe's glare and went upstairs. For now, he didn't need to let Atobe know that he had realized he felt more than what he thought for Fuji. It would only serve as complications if he did, so he kept his mouth shut. He still had two days anyways.

* * *

**Author's note**: Chapter 17! Finally! And Ryoma finally realizes his feelings! The end is coming soon…it will hit the climax and then everything will be revealed. Don't know how many chapters I'm going to plan for that though. Anyways, that's it for now. I don't know when chapter 18 will be up because I am currently writing an original m/m fiction (I've wanted to write an original story of my own for a while). I even set an LJ account so I could post up the story! So, if any of you are ever interested, I haven't finished the first chapter, so it's not posted, but when I do, I'm going to hint at it, haha, and then you can check it out on LJ (if you want). The title will be called Dream Weavers under my account name Skyy92 and hopefully, it will be interesting.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction will not be related to the anime/manga. It will contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

* * *

**Ready-Fight! : Amusement Park**

The next day had come around a lot faster than he had expected. And just like yesterday, he chose to spend his day with Fuji, however this time Fuji was the one who chose their destination. So, he ended up waiting for the other man under a statue, tapping his foot against the cement floor. Nervousness prickled his skin as he anxiety course thrummed through his body. Fuji never did tell him where they going and he didn't like surprises much, but if it was Fuji, he would bear with it.

"Echizen!" Fuji called out.

Glancing up, Ryoma bit back a smile and nodded his head in greeting. When Fuji reached him, he felt his hand being grabbed. Surprised, he glanced down at their intertwined back. "What are you doing?" he asked in a strained voice.

"Hm? I'm not doing anything," Fuji replied innocently.

"Your...hand...stop holding my hand. Friends don't do that."

"Ah, okay..."

When Fuji released his hand, Ryoma felt disappointed. He was hoping Fuji would put up more of a fight. Glancing at the floor, he walked next to Fuji in silence. He didn't even pay attention to where they were going until Fuji told him to look up. Blinking, Ryoma looked up and gaped at the screaming people on the roller coaster. His gaze traveled to the line where they were waiting. "We're...going to an amusement park," he said.

"Yup," Fuji said cheerfully.

"Doesn't that...I mean...isn't that kind of like a date?"

"Not really. Friends go to amusement parks too."

Ryoma glanced at Fuji with a raised brow, but eventually let it go. As long as he was happy, then he was fine with it. He began to notice how much he was letting Fuji get away with things now that he had realize his own feelings about Fuji. He mentally cursed at himself to stop doing that, however the moment they stepped into the park, he forgot all about his scolding. He stared at the attractions like a child, not even minding the fact that Fuji had grabbed his hand again and was leading him through the park.

The first ride they went on was the roller coaster. Ryoma kept his eyes close as the ride ticked upward and opened them when the roller coaster zoomed downward. He could hear Fuji laughing beside him and before he knew it, he was laughing along with the older man. Everything else after the ride came smoothly. Ryoma found himself smiling a lot more than he expected.

"Are you having fun?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma nodded his head, "Yeah...more than I expected. I haven't been to an amusement park since I was seven. I'm glad you took me here."

"Good. Now, let's go over to the haunted house next!"

Laughing, Ryoma followed after Fuji. He never knew Fuji could look so childish as he led them to the haunted house. The line wasn't long, so it only took a few seconds before they were inside. Fuji was ahead of him, leading the way as he followed closely behind. It was darker than he thought it would be, so he found himself reached out to Fuji unconsciously. He grabbed onto a piece of cloth, thinking it was Fuji, but as he looked up, he found himself staring at a dead girl's rotting face. Ryoma stifled a scream as he pulled his hand away, but he was tumbling forward as he lost his footing. He grabbed onto Fuji, surprising the older man as they both fell to the floor. "Oomph," Ryoma muttered as he landed on something soft. Groaning, he pushed himself up by his arms and stared down at chuckling Fuji.

"I didn't know you were that scared," Fuji teased.

"I wasn't scared! It just...surprised me. It was dark and I was trying to grab yo-...I mean...I was just trying to find my way and I accidentally grabbed onto her shirt," Ryoma mumbled with embarrassment.

Fuji laughed, "Riiight..."

"Shut up!"

Ryoma smacked Fuji on the chest tried to get up, but Fuji held him back down. He gasped and looked at Fuji with surprise. The moment he looked down, he was staring into Fuji's blue eyes. His breathing hitched slightly from looking into them. "Fu...ji...we should...get up," Ryoma said although he didn't try to move away.

"Then maybe you should move off of me," Fuji suggested.

"If you let go."

"I am holding onto you aren't I?"

"Yes."

Ryoma gulped slowly, letting his eyelids fall. His breathing came out faster as he leaned his head down. Their lips brushed against each other softly. The taste of Fuji sent a thrill through Ryoma's body as it remembered his touches. Moaning, Ryoma pressed their lips together, flicking his tongue for entrance. Fuji obeyed, opening his mouth to let their tongues touch. Writhing on top of Fuji, Ryoma angled his head to get better access of kissing Fuji. He was running his hands down Fuji's arms when the sudden voices of other people broke him from their kiss. Gasping in shock, Ryoma quickly got off of Fuji and smoothed out his clothes. He cleared his throat just as Fuji was standing up and the other group of people passed by them. Ryoma noticed they were staring at them curiously, but he ignored them. He turned his attention back to Fuji. "Are...are you okay?" he asked, "I did...fall on you."

"I'm fine. You're not heavy...really...you should eat more. Talking about eating, let's get lunch," Fuji said.

"Sure."

An awkward silence fell over them as they finally finished walking through the haunted house and headed over to the food court. After buying their food and sitting down, they quietly ate. The awkward silence from earlier continued to linger over them. Ryoma gave a frustrated sigh after finishing his food. "Fuji...about earlier, the kiss..." he mumbled.

"It's okay. We don't have to talk about it," Fuji said.

"No! If...it's awkward now."

"It doesn't have to be...it's really fine. It was just our body...reacting to each other."

Fuji smiled at him as if that explained everything, but Ryoma knew better. He knew how Fuji felt for him and he was already beginning to understand what he felt for Fuji. What had happened at the haunted house attraction was more than just their body reacting to each other. It was them reacting emotionally. The deprivation of not being able to be with each other was taking a toll on them. Ryoma picked at the tray, knowing that Fuji was holding back for him.

"Echizen," Fuji said softly, "How do you feel about me?"

Taken by surprise by his question, Ryoma stared at Fuji dumbfounded. It took a moment, but he finally shrugged. He glanced back to the tray of food, guilty for not telling Fuji the truth. But he also didn't have the courage to tell Fuji what he felt. Fuji was someone important to him, someone who he could probably say he loved, but he would never say it out loud because even if he did, he knew he would never leave Atobe either and Fuji needed that reassurance. It wasn't something he could give. "What's the next ride?" he asked, changing the subject. He had caught a flicker of hurt on Fuji's face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Fuji smiled at him and soon they were up and riding on the rides again. It was a good distraction for a conversation he didn't want to have anytime soon.

Before long, night had fallen. Their last ride was the Ferris-wheel where they waited in a long line to get into. It was a thirty minute wait, but they eventually got on. Sitting down on the bench, Ryoma stared out the glass window. The light of the city glittered like fallen stars below them. It was a beautiful site, but behind that beauty was a darker truth behind. A world filled with prostitution, murder, and drugs.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma shuddered from Fuji's hot breath against his skin. He turned his body slightly, finding their faces were only inches apart. "But behind that beauty is something darker," Ryoma whispered.

"It doesn't have to be that way," Fuji whispered back, "You can live in that beauty."

"I can't. I've forgotten how to."

"I can teach you again."

"How?"

Ryoma closed his eyes as he felt Fuji's hand caress his cheek. His head instinctively leaned into it, longing for Fuji's touch. "Will you...protect me?" Ryoma asked. He sighed contently as Fuji's hands traveled down his neck and toward his collar bone.

"Of course," Fuji replied, "I'll always protect you."

"Really?"

"Yes...because you are everything to me."

His eyes fluttered open at Fuji's words. He sucked in a breath as their lips gently pressed against each other. The kiss was soft and tender as if promising him of eternity. Sighing contently again, Ryoma allowed himself to be swept away as Fuji gently kissed him everywhere. Every place the kiss landed, it felt as it was burning his skin, spreading a fire deep inside his body. Ryoma moaned, arching his back and pressing himself against Fuji. "Fuji..." he whispered, "I want...I want y-"

The ride came to a stop and a knocking on the window broke him from the magic. Like a dream, it faded until there was only an impression left behind. Reality took hold of him again. Ryoma pushed Fuji away and stood up just as the door swung open for them to step out.

* * *

Fuji took him back home. The memory of their time in the Ferris-wheel was like a distant dream now, but Ryoma would cherish it forever. He stopped at the gates and turned around to face Fuji. "I had a great time," he said, "Thank you for taking me there."

"It was my pleasure," Fuji said with a smile.

Fuji was the first to turn away, but as Ryoma watched Fuji walk away, he felt a surge of regret inside him. He ran forward, grabbed Fuji by the arm and turned him around. He wrapped his arms around Fuji's neck and kissed him passionately. He wanted to Fuji to know how he felt, not by words, but the emotions he was putting into the kiss. Breaking away from the kiss, Ryoma tipped on his toes and placed a soft kiss on Fuji's cheek. "Thank you..." he whispered before he pulled away and ran back to the gates. He looked over his shoulder to see Fuji's shadowed figure shift on his feet and then turn away.

Biting his lower lip, Ryoma turned away as well and entered the gate. As soon as he entered the house, he noticed Atobe sitting on the couch drinking wine.

"Did you have fun today?" Atobe asked.

"I did," Ryoma said, "There is still tomorrow for me to decide."

"Yes...well, get to bed then."

Ryoma was surprised by Atobe's attitude. He thought the older man would have put up more of a fight. Shaking off the feeling, he headed up stairs, but took one last look at Atobe. "Is...is something the matter?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing. Just...I decided to fire Yoshino," Atobe replied nonchalantly.

"Even though you told him you weren't going to as long as he slept with you?"

"He lost my client...on purpose. I can't keep an employee like that around."

"You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Of course."

Sighing, Ryoma shook his head and headed to bed.

* * *

**Author's note**: So...this was a short chapter. I'm so sorry! But the next one will be longer. It's also the last chapter. O.O


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction will not be related to the anime/manga. It will contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

* * *

**Ready-Fight! : Goodbye**

It felt as if someone was staring at him. Groaning, Ryoma stirred from his sleep, frowning at the presence of someone in his room. He sat up quickly, letting his gaze settle on a dark figure sitting on a chair at the end of his bed. Ryoma squinted his eyes as his sight adjusted to the darkness. "Atobe?" he croaked out, "What the hell are you doing in my room and staring at me for? That's fucking creepy. You a stalker now?" He heard a low chuckle and sighed. Stretching his arms, Ryoma kicked the blankets off of himself. He got out of bed and walked over to Atobe, stopping in front of the older man. He could see Atobe looking at him with amusement dancing in his eyes. "What?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"It's been a while since I saw your sleeping face. I just realized I sort of miss it," Atobe answered.

"The hell you talking about?"

"Just reminiscing. Get on back to bed."

"While you stare at me?"

"I'll join you."

Frowning in confusion, Ryoma stared at Atobe as though he had grew a second head. Atobe was never a man who thought about the past, so him stating such a thing felt as though the world was coming to an end. When Atobe didn't say anything else, Ryoma sighed frustratedly and turned on his heels. He crawled back in bed, scooting slightly to the side. It took a few minutes before he heard the soft shuffling of Atobe's footsteps walking toward the bed too. The bed dipped to his weight as the older man crawled into it and pulled the covers over them. Ryoma rolled onto his side to face Atobe and saw that he had done the same. Silently, Ryoma watched as Atobe reached over and brushed a hand on his cheek. It was a gentle gesture coming from Atobe. Not understanding what was going on in Atobe's head, Ryoma touched Atobe's hand softly as if to comfort him.

"It's been a long time hasn't it...since I took you in," Atobe said quietly.

"Yeah..." Ryoma replied just as quietly, "What's wrong? You're acting weird."

"Am I?"

"Yes..."

Ryoma released Atobe' hand, allowing him to run his fingers down his neck. Ryoma shivered at the feel of cold fingertips on his skin. He let out a shuddering breath and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt the warmth of Atobe's arms around him and his hot breath against his skin. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the other man. "Seriously, what is wrong with you?" he asked.

"Do you remember when I took you in?" Atobe asked with his eyes closed.

Ryoma's lips thinned as he remembered the night Atobe had found him. He was only eleven and fighting to survive on the streets. A couple of older teens were picking on him and they ended up in a scuffle. One of the teens had taken out a knife and was about to stab him, but Atobe had appeared and stopped the kid. After threatening the teens, the teenagers ran off, leaving Ryoma to deal with an adult who seemed capable of killing someone. However, back then he had saw Atobe as his savior. When he had turned around and offered a hand to him, Ryoma had taken it willingly, believing that someone had finally saved him. Of course, everything turned out to be a lie. Sighing, Ryoma nodded his head or at least tried to, "Yeah...I remember. You threatened a few teens picking on me and then took me in."

Atobe chuckled, "I did, didn't I?"

When Atobe fell silent after that, Ryoma took a closer look at him. Atobe had fallen asleep, breathing evenly with his arms wrapped around him. Still not understanding what was going on, Ryoma shrugged it off and snuggled closer to him. As he closed his eyes to fall asleep again, he couldn't help but think of how different and similar Atobe and Fuji were. Atobe who was a bit more muscular than Fuji and yet, they both held a protective aura around them. They were different in the way they protected the things they cared about, but they would protect it no matter the cost.

When he awoke, it was already morning and Atobe was gone. Ryoma sat up as he rubbed his eyes. Yawning, he swung his feet over the bed and got up. The morning sun had lit up his room, warming it slightly even though it was already winter. Ryoma glanced out the window and smiled to himself. It felt as if today was going to be a good day.

After dressing and slipping on his shoes, he left his in room in search of Atobe. But as he searched the mansion, the other man was no where to be found. Not even Kabaji was around which meant Atobe had gone off somewhere and taken Kabaji with him. Frowning, Ryoma headed toward the front door. He still didn't know why Atobe was acting the way he was last night and he had wanted to find out, but it seemed he wouldn't be able to know the answer. He made a mental note to come back later and ask, even if it meant he had to get into an argument with Atobe.

* * *

It didn't take long for Fuji to find him as he roamed the streets. They met up at a tennis court where Ryoma had stopped to watch a few other boys play. He had turned to leave, but noticed Fuji walking toward him. Unconsciously, Ryoma smiled and gave him a small wave. He stopped midway wave when he noticed what he was doing and instantly dropped his hand. He turned his head away, tipping his cap down to hide the blush on his face as he remembered what he had done last night after their amusement park date.

"Good morning Echizen," Fuji greeted.

"Morning," Ryoma replied as he turned again to look at the people playing tennis.

"You're not playing today?"

"Momo is busy today. What about you? Aren't you working?"

"I am...I'm on break and I thought I would take a look around on the streets to see if I would find you. By some luck, I spotted you."

"That's some pretty amazing eyes you have."

"For finding you, yes they are."

Raising a brow, Ryoma glanced at Fuji who was smiling like usual. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the game. He let the silence drag for a bit before he asked, "...so...you're free right now, then?"

"Yeah," Fuji replied.

"Want to...take a walk with me?"

Fuji smiled, "Sure."

Ryoma turned and led the way for a few paces before he slowed down, allowing Fuji to walk beside him. They ended up on a pathway where it ran along a river. Ryoma stuffed his hands into his pockets to avoid the cold breeze. There was a comfortable silence between him and Fuji as they walked. He felt there was no need for words as Fuji's presence was all he needed. It was a tranquil feeling. He spotted a bench under a tree and nodded to it. As he walked toward it, Fuji followed. He sat down with Fuji sitting beside him. "How long is your break?" Ryoma asked.

"Hm, about half an hour. I still have fifteen minutes left. Although, I am surprise to find you here. I thought you would be with Atobe today," Fuji said thoughtfully.

"Why would I be with him today?"

"Well...I mean...you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Ah, that today is Atobe's parents' death anniversary. I just found out today as well...I think on the report it said that he was ten when his parents got into a car accident. A truck drier fell asleep and swerved off the road and rammed into their car. It was an instant death...I thought you would have known..."

Ryoma stared at Fuji blankly. He hadn't known that about Atobe's past. Even though he was the one that took him in, Atobe always had an air about him that said he shouldn't ask about such trivial things. So, he never did. "What else?" Ryoma asked.

"This is confidential information," Fuji said.

"What. Else."

Sighing, Fuji continued, "He was taken into an orphanage as he had no other living relatives. A year later, he was taken in by a couple, but it seems about two years later, officials found out he was being abused and they took him back. He stayed at the orphanage until he was old enough to support himself, however...it did say he was a bit of a troublesome teenager as well. Prostitution, drug trafficking for a small group, and illegal gambling. It seems when he left the orphanage, he also began his company. He started off young and since then, his company has grown. That's all we have about him..."

An unsteady breath escaped Ryoma's lips as he took in the information. He had always thought Atobe as someone who was arrogant and narcissistic, but behind that face, he was also a very vulnerable man. It was the part of him that he never showed anyone...except last night. Ryoma closed his eyes as he remember how Atobe had got into his bed and wrapped his arms around him. Thinking back on it, Ryoma began to see just how childish it almost seemed. Atobe had acted exactly how he had when he was first taken in. Nightmares woke him from his sleep and he would dread to fall back into slumber in fear of having the dark claws of the dreaded dreams grab hold of him again. Only the warmth of someone beside would ever calm him and that was why he had often crawled into bed with Atobe. And last night, Atobe had done the same. He slowly opened his eyes as it dawned on him how Atobe wasn't as strong emotionally as he had put himself off as. After all, he was only human and all humans had a weakness.

Ryoma tilted his head back and stared at the sky. He remembered then, that today was also marked the fifth year of when Atobe had taken him under his household. Five years ago, in the dark alley of the shady neighborhood, Atobe had appeared before him in a black suit, saving him from the teenagers. A black suit...one that was worn in mourning for the death of his parents. Exhaling quickly, Ryoma stood abruptly. "I have to find Atobe," Ryoma said without looking at Fuji. He turned to leave, ignoring Fuji who called out to him. As he walked away from the other man, he could hear a phone ringing and then Fuji's voice as he answered the phone. He was already far from the bench when he heard Fuji's running footsteps behind him.

"Echizen! Wait, stop! I...I know where Atobe is!" Fuji yelled.

He stopped in his tracks. Turning on his heels, he looked back Fuji and raised a brow. His eyes glided over to the phone his hands which was still flipped open.

"Atobe is..." Fuji stopped to catch his breath and then continued, "he's being held captive by a man named Yoshino."

A cold dread fell over Ryoma as he ran back to Fuji. He needed to get to Atobe before Yoshino decided to do something reckless. Fearing for Atobe's life, Ryoma silently followed after Fuji who led him to a car. He got into the passenger seat just as Fuji started the engine. The car started moving even before he closed the door. On the way over to the location, Ryoma explained to Fuji as much he knew about who Yoshino was. When he finished explaining, he fell silent. He watched the buildings pass by in a blurs as they drove deeper into the city where sky scrapers loomed over them. The car came to a stop, making Ryoma glance up at the tall building before him.

"Y Corp...it's where Atobe runs his company," Fuji said as he unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car.

Ryoma quickly followed suit, stepping out of the car. He hadn't noticed before, but as soon as he stepped out, he saw the building surrounded by cop cars. The lights on them were flashing brightly and each car had at least two policemen standing beside it with their guns ready. He swallowed slowly and began following after Fuji again. He caught up to Fuji when he stopped to talked to Tezuka. Ryoma stopped in his tracks as Tezuka's gaze scrutinize on him.

"What is he doing here, Fuji?" Tezuka asked, "A civilian is not allowed here."

"I'm sorry. I'll take full responsibility, but I do think he needs to be here," Fuji replied, standing his ground.

Ryoma watched as the two had a staring match. It took a full two minute before Tezuka finally looked away without a word. Fuji smiled at him, reassuring him that everything was going to be okay and then followed after Tezuka to get a briefing of what was happening to far. Ryoma remained behind, shifting from foot to foot. A moment later, Fuji returned with information.

"It seems Yoshino was fired today," Fuji informed him, "He's threatening to shoot someone if we don't pull back. One of our officers went in to negotiate with him."

Just as Fuji finished informing him, Tezuke returned with a radio at his side. Ryoma glanced at him briefly and then back at the stoic man. He placed the radio on top of the car and turned it on. There was a staticky noise followed after a voice.

"Oishi already reached him?" Fuji asked Tezuka.

"Yeah...but negotiation might not go so well. Yoshino doesn't seem like he wants to cooperate," Tezuka said.

"What happens if he doesn't?" Ryoma asked.

Tezuka stared at him blankly, "We can't do anything reckless. It's not only Atobe we're trying to save. There are other hostages in there."

Ryoma frowned, a bit angry that Tezuka hadn't exactly answered his questioned. He turned his attention back to the radio. He could hear the voice trying to negotiate with Yoshino, but Yoshino wasn't yielding. He was talking back, screaming and threatening if they came any closer, he would kill one of the hostages. For a moment, there was silence and Ryoma thought the connection had been cut off, but then he heard Yoshino's voice amongst the white noise.

"All I waned was you...I knew everything about you...even your darkest secrets...but then you kept that damn brat around you all the time! What's so special about him?! I'm better than him. I can give you what he can't give you. Atobe...Atobe...if I can't have you, then no one can!"

The voice was proceeded with loud shooting noises. Ryoma felt his heart freeze at the sound of gun shots ringing through the radio. He stared in horror at the radio as Tezuka went into action with Fuji at his side. His hand covered his mouth as the shooting continued to echo. There was chaos around him as he turned around to face the building. His hands dropped to his side and he began running to the building. He only took a few steps before a hand was on him and pulling him back. Ryoma fought against the grasping hands. "Let go!" he yelled, "Atobe! Atobe! I have to get to Atobe!"

"Echizen! Stop!" Fuji exclaimed as he turned him around.

Ryoma was breathing heavily as he faced Fuji. He stared at the other man with wide eyes. Fear was running through him at the thought of Atobe dying. He couldn't let that happen. Even if he always claimed that he would be the one to kill Atobe, it wasn't like he really meant it. Atobe, despite all the horrible things he did, was still the one who took him under his wings and gave him a place to call home. "No...no, no, no...I have...I have to get in there," he begged.

"Echizen...I need you to breathe. Calm down. Going in there isn't going to help. Stay here and let us handle this. Atobe is going to be fine," Fuji reassured him.

"How do you know?"

"Because Atobe isn't one to give up so easily. You should know that."

Taking a shaking breath, Ryoma gulped and nodded slowly. His knees suddenly felt weak and he had to be lowered to the ground. Fuji wrapped an arm around him, hushing him and whispering comforting words. Ryoam closed his eyes, taking in Fuji's voice and letting it calm him. He looked at Fuji and grabbed his hand. "Everything is going to be okay..." he said, almost questioningly.

Fuji smiled at him, "Yes...everything is going to be okay."

Ryoma sighed and leaned his head against Fuji's shoulder. The pandemonium around them seem to quiet as he allowed himself to be enveloped in Fuji. All he had left was to hope that nothing happened to Atobe.

Suddenly, there was a loud commotion. Ryoma glanced up and saw people walking out of the building with officers covered in bullet proof vests beside them. His eyes searched the people until he saw the person he was looking for. He immediately pulled away from Fuji and ran to Atobe who was being escorted by two officers. He didn't care what was happening around him. All that mattered was that Atobe was fine. He was uninjured—safe and sound—far from the shooting. He wrapped his arms around Atobe in a tight embrace, burying his face into the crook older man's neck. "Thank god you're okay," Ryoma whispered.

Atobe chuckled, wrapping his arms around him, "I didn't think you cared so much."

"...I didn't think so either."

Ryoma pulled away and looked at Atobe in the eyes. His gaze traveled pass him and fell on Kabaji who was behind him.

"Kabaji saved me," Atobe said, "Jumped out and pushed me out of the way just as Yoshino was about to shoot me."

"What happened to Yoshino?" Ryoma asked, grateful to Kabaji for saving Atobe.

"Dead. He was shot."

Nodding his head, Ryoma unwrapped his arms away from Atobe. Ryoma walked beside Atobe as he was escorted to an ambulance where he was checked for any injuries. When they deemed him fine, Tezuka and Fuji came up to them to question Atobe. In the middle of their inquiry, another officer ran up to Tezua and whispered something in his ear. Ryoma watched on in silence as Tezuka gave one short glance at Atobe and then took off in a run. Ryoma looked over to Atobe and noticed him smirking. He tilted his head questioningly, but Atobe merely smiled at him. Rolling his eyes, he looked over to Fuji who had followed after Tezuka and was coming back. Fuji stopped in front of them, staring at Atobe.

"What's wrong?" Atobe asked.

"They found a cellphone on Yoshino...it has all the contacts of members in the fight club as well as meeting dates and past locations. According to Tezuka...we've found the head of the fight club. And he's dead," Fuji said with a straight face, "What did you do?"

"What are you talking about? You found your man and you're still suspecting me?"

"I don't believe it and I don't think Tezuka does either. But there's hard evidence...this doesn't mean the case is close yet. If fight club ever appears again, you're still on the suspect list."

"Really now? But I will be heading out of the country soon."

Fuji frowned confusedly and Ryoma was sure he had the same expression. He looked over to Atobe with bemusement since this was the first time he had ever heard of Atobe leaving the country. "You're leaving?" Ryoma asked.

"Yes. You see...I've been planning this for some time now and I've already made all the arrangements. I'm moving the main branch of Y Corp to America. We're relocating and that means I'm moving there too," Atobe replied easily, "Now, if you don't mind...I must get going because my flight is today and I have to head out soon."

Ryoma's eyes widen as Atobe stood up and began walking to a black car. Kabaji, who had disappeared when Atobe was being checked by the paramedics, stepped out of the car and opened the back door for Atobe. Ryoma stared in disbelief.

"Are you coming with me?" Atobe asked him as he got into the car, "or are you going to stay with him?"

Lost for words, Ryoma whipped around to look at Fuji. Fuji was staring at him now, his eyes focused on him, as if pleading him not to go. Ryoma opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Echizen," Fuji whispered, "I-"

"I'm sorry," Ryoma interrupted him.

He turned away from Fuji and took a step toward the waiting car. He didn't dare to turn around because he didn't wish to see the devastated look on Fuji's face as he chose Atobe over him. He got into the car, never once looking over at Fuji. It was only when the car was far from the scene and Fuji was only a silhouette in the background when he finally turned around to look out the back window of the car. He pressed his hand against the tinted window, fighting back the urge to cry.

"You could have stayed with him," Atobe whispered.

"I couldn't have...we live in two different worlds," Ryoma whispered back, "Besides...you have my loyalty."

The drive back to Atobe's mansion was a silent one, filled with the memories of a horrific moment and the sad passing of a love that could have been.

* * *

The moment they reached the mansion, Ryoma was quickly ushered out of the car. He had to pack quickly since the flight was going to be leaving soon. He headed up the stairs and began to pack, taking only his essentials. By the time he was packed and ready to leave, the door to his room swung open. Ryoma turned to face Atobe who was leaning against the door frame. He was wearing a new suit and had sunglasses on. "Are we leaving right now?" Ryoma asked.

"You're not coming with me," Atobe said bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Ryoma scowled as he walked over to Atobe. "If I'm not going with you, then where am I going to go?"

"To the country side," Atobe replied as he handed him a train ticket.

He took the ticket from Atobe and stared at it. Confused, he looked up at Atobe with frown. "Why-"

"Your cousin lives there."

Ryoma slowly inhaled with shock as he took another look at the ticket, "Nanako...she's alive?"

"She's always been alive."

"How?"

"You didn't think I would just taken in a brat from the streets without looking into his background, did you?"

"You found her."

"I did. I found her and paid for her debts. And then I offered her in return for paying off her debts to keep you. Of course, she refused at first, saying she would repay me in any way possible, just as long as you were returned to her, but I persuaded her that it was better you stayed with me. You would have an easier life. It took some time, but she eventually agreed. I changed her name and relocated her. I told you didn't I? Never trust anyone...not even me. Now hurry up, I'm taking you to the train station."

Ryoma crumpled the train ticket in his hand. He pressed it close to his chest as he remembered Nanako's face, his last living relative. A low laugh escaped from his lips as a burst of relief and happiness filled him. He didn't even care that Atobe was the reason why he was separated from her because now he could return to his family, knowing that she didn't abandon him. She still cared. More than anything at the moment, Ryoma wanted to go to her...to find his true place to call a home. Taking a breath and exhaling, he grabbed his bag and headed down the stairs, saying goodbye to the mansion and his life in the city.

They arrived at the train station a few minutes before his departure. Stepping out of the car, Ryoma turned around to take one last look at Atobe. He smiled at the man, "I should hate you, but I just can't seem to find it in myself to do that. Even if you took me away from my cousin and gave me the most messed up life...in the end...you still cared."

"Don't get all sentimental on me you damn brat. And stop saying that I care because I don't give a rat's ass what happens to you," Atobe grumbled.

"If that was true, then you would have just left me behind."

"...shut up. Now get going or you'll miss your train."

To his surprise, Ryoma felt a little sad that he was leaving Atobe. He probably won't ever see the man again, so he took a long look at him. "Thank you," he said, noticing the small blush on Atobe's face before he turned and ran toward the train station. He boarded his train, placing his bag beside him as he sat next to a window. Propping his elbow on the arm rest, he rested his chin against the palm of his hand as he stared out. The train began to move, slowly at first and then speeding up. Soon, the city was far behind him. It would become his past...even Fuji. Closing his eyes, he let the rattling of the train soothe him. "Goodbye," he whispered under his breath.

* * *

**Author's note**: This chapter was actually written before chapter 18 as this was suppose to be chapter 18. However, I decided it might have felt a little rush, so I decided to add a chapter before this one to bring out the love Ryoma had for Fuji and yet at the same, he is struggling against it. This chapter pretty much ends the struggle. Anyways, this is the end!

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Okay, I'm kidding. XP There is another chapter. And don't worry, it will be a HEA. I will probably go over chapter 18 again and rewrite it. It's 2am and I'm tired as heck and chapter 18 was written with...not as much enthusiasm. So, that chapter might feel choppy (actually, this chapter feels a little choppy too). But, I will try to get the last chapter in as soon as possible because I already know what I want to write. It's just late (or rather, early) and I don't want to write when I'm tired because then I get lazy...and you would get a chapter like chapter 18. ( -.- ) And you wouldn't want to read a crappy chapter like that, especially on the last chapter that really wraps it up. So...look for to it!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. This is purely fan made.

Author's Note: Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction will not be related to the anime/manga. It will contain boy x boy and will have graphic violence. Rated M for smut, language, drugs, and violence.

* * *

**Ready-Fight! : At Long Last**

Ryoma woke up to the soft sound of wind chimes and birds chirping. Eyes blinking awake, he stretched in bed like a cat and then sat up. A cool breeze from the open window next to his bed sent in a fresh aroma of the country. He scooted over to the wall and leaned against the window sill. From his bedroom, he could see the small streets below and the far shadowed mountains in the distance. The sound of people talking and children laughing echoed from the neighborhood. From below the house, he could hear footsteps reverberating up the stairs. And then, there was a knock on his door.

"Ryoma? Are you awake?" came the voice of Nanako.

"Yeah," he answered as he turned around and got up from his twin size bed. It wasn't as huge as the bed he use to sleep in at Atobe's, but it was still comfortable. He walked over to the door and opened it.

Nanako, with her gentle smile, greeted him cheerily, "Good morning. Mind helping me?"

"Okay. Just let me get dressed first," he said as he turned and walked over to a small brown dresser to grab a clean shirt.

He slipped it on as Nanako headed back down stairs. Stifling a yawn, he headed out the bedroom went to the bathroom to freshen himself up. After he had brushed his teeth and washed his face, he jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen where Nanako was already baking. His foot had barely hit the floor when Nanako told him to put out the sign in front of the shop. Without a word, Ryoma walked through an archway which led to the shop. He slipped on a pair of fuzzy slippers, then grabbed the chalkboard sign where the special for the day was already written on, and took it outside. As set the sign up, neighbors from other houses passed by and greeted him. Ryoma greeted them back politely, but only in a short hello and nod.

He finished arranging the sign and took a step back to stare at it. Four years ago, he had left the city to live with Nanako—a life of tranquility and normality where he helped her run a pastry shop. He no longer had to worry about fighting to survive or taking drugs to cope with it. Life was better now...except...Ryoma sighed as he glanced up. He shaded his eyes with his hands. _Except life would would have been better if Fuji was with me_, he thought. In the four years he was living with Nanako, there were many nights where he dreamed of the days he had spent with Fuji and the time they went to the amusement park. And every time he woke up from the dream, it was like there was a void inside his heart. An empty place where everything would just disappear. Ryoma had sometime wished that on the day he had gone with Fuji to the amusement park, he should have told Fuji how he really felt. But it was too late to wish for such things. He had chosen to leave him behind. He sighed again and started to go back inside, but just as he opened the door, he heard footsteps behind him. Ryoma turned and said, "I'm sorry, but we're not open ye-" His words trailed off as he took in the sight of the man standing in front of him. He was staring into those blue eyes that always seem to enchant him. "Fuji..." he said under his breath. For a second, Ryoma thought he was dreaming, but the people who passed by the shop also noticed him.

"It's been awhile hasn't it, Echizen?" Fuji asked in the same gentle and caring voice, "Took me a while to actually find you, but...I did."

Ryoma's hand fell away from the door as he took a step toward Fuji. The closer he got to Fuji, he more he began to notice how Fuji looked older. He was another step away from Fuji, so close to touch him when the door to the shop opened and Nanako's head peeked out.

"Ryoma, what's taking you so long? Oh! A customer?" Nanako asked.

Stepping away from Fuji quickly, Ryoma swiveled around and shook his head at Nanako, "Ah, he's...someone who use to take care of me when I lived in the city."

"Oh! Well, if that's so, then come in! Anyone who is a friend of Ryoma is welcomed."

The door widened as Nanako turned to go back inside. Ryoma cleared his throat while flickering his eyes over to Fuji. "Come inside," he said as he walked ahead. He could hear Fuji following behind him. Suddenly, he felt shy and nervous. Just moments ago, he had been thinking about regretting for not telling Fuji how he really felt, but now that he was there, he didn't have the courage to say it either. He mentally cursed himself as he led Fuji into the kitchen where Nanako had already set up breakfast at the small table in the corner.

"Why don't you join us for breakfast?" Nanako asked.

"Oh, I really shouldn't intrude," Fuji declined politely.

"Nonsense! If you arrived this early, you must not have had breakfast yet."

"I'm sorry for coming unannounced."

"It's no problem. Now, come have breakfast with us."

Ryoma sat down with Fuji sitting next to him. As Nanko and Fuji talked, he ate in silence. For all the drams he had and all the wishes he often told himself, in the end he couldn't face Fuji. Guilt plagued him because he had chosen Atobe over him. He didn't think Fuji would still want to see him or even...love him anymore. Ryoma's grip tighten at the thought of Fuji not loving him. He looked up from under his bangs, watching Fuji as he chatted with Nanako. For a moment, he felt jealous that Fuji was paying more attention to his cousin than him. Grumbling under his breath, he brushed the feeling away and continued to much on his food.

"You're awfully quiet," Nanako said, "Is something wrong Ryoma?"

"Huh?" Ryoma quickly looked up at her and then shook his head. He briefly let his gaze flick to Fuji before returning them to his plate of food, "Just tired, s'all."

"Hmm...after breakfast, why don't you take Fuji around town," Nanako suggested as she looked to Fuji again, "We don't have much to see in this small town, but the shrine is beautiful here. How long are you staying for?"

"Three days at most," Fuji replied.

"Oh, that's great! Tomorrow we're having a festival in honor of the deity and the harvest here. It's going to be three days as well."

"That sounds fun. I think I would enjoy that."

Nanako smiled at him and then over to Ryoma. Ryoma tried to smile back, but he was having a hard time. He looked over to Fuji, feeling a bit dreadful that Fuji would be staying there for three days, which meant three days of having to face the past. Sighing, he stood up, "I'm done. Excuse me." He grabbed his plate and brought them over to the sink to soak them in water. A few seconds later, Fuji appeared behind them. Ryoma jumped slightly from surprise. He glanced to the side at Fuji. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Fuji placed the plates into the sink gently and replied, "I told you. I came to find you."

"And do what?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to see you again."

Ryoma took a side side, leading against the counter. Frowning, he said, "There has to be a catch. Are you still investigating the fight club? Have you come to make me testify or something?"

"Not at all," Fuji said firmly, a frown creasing his forehead. He sighed, "Why must my visit mean that I want something like that from you? Can't I just...visit you because I missed you?"

"I didn't think you would want to see me again."

"You know...four years ago when you left, when you chose Atobe, I was angry. I thought that night when we left the amusement park and you kissed me...I thought that kiss meant so much more. As if you were telling me you loved me...but then I was disappointed when you left with Atobe. I didn't think I would ever want to see you again...but two years passed and every night I dreamt of you and I longed to see you again. It was then that I realized, if I didn't do anything about it, I would never see you again. And I also realized how much of a coward I was. If I truly loved you, I would have gone after you without waiting. I would have fought for you...protected you like I said I was going to. I gathered every ounce of courage I had left and bought a ticket to America because I thought you were living with Atobe. I was quite surprised that you didn't go with him. It took a few months to finally get Atobe to tell me where you were and when I was leaving, he came to me and said that if I ever hurt you, he would find me and kill me. I guess, you really held a soft spot in his heart. Of course, that was two years ago..."

"So why now?"

"I was afraid...afraid that I didn't deserve you. It took me another two years to finally toss everything I believed away...to risk everything for you. The investigation of the fight club is closed. Yoshino's house had everything, all the evidence that led to him being the mastermind behind it and all the members were already dead. When everything ended, I knew then that I had no other connection to you. And that's when I decided to quit my job and come here. The question now is...do you...love me?"

Ryoma bit his lower lip as he looked into Fuji's eyes. Everything that Fuji told him was enough for him to believe that Fuji still wanted him, but _he_ was afraid. He didn't know what it was like to love someone and he feared what he felt. He didn't want to be hurt and if Fuji ever left him or died, he wasn't sure how he would ever cope with it. He took a deep breath and exhaled, "I...I-"

"Are you going to take Fuji around the town?" Nanako asked as she appeared behind them.

Ryoma immediately closed his mouth, pressing his lips together in a thin line. He looked away from Fuji and nodded his head at Nanako. After she dropped the dishes into the sink and left, Ryoma breathed out a sigh of relief, glad that she had interrupted them. "So, I'll take you around town," he said, changing the subject while avoiding Fuji's face. He didn't feel quite ready to tell him yet and so, they ended up leaving their conversation there.

* * *

He hadn't expected the towns people to be very interested in Fuji, but the moment he began taking Fuji around the small town, every person would greet them and take some time to talk to Fuji. The worst part for Ryoma was when the single women took interest and began flirting with him and Fuji took it all in stride. By the time Ryoma was taking Fuji to the shrine, he was no longer in the mood to talk to him. He was angry that Fuji hadn't brushed off the women or even the older folks because he really just wanted Fuji to himself. It was a selfish thought, especially since he couldn't even tell Fuji how he really felt, but he still didn't like other people taking up what little time he had with Fuji.

"You seem angry. Did I do something?" Fuji asked while walking next to him.

"No," Ryoma replied curtly.

Fuji chuckled at his response, "Alright then..."

After showing Fuji the shrine, Ryoma took him back to the shop. It was already dusk and since he hadn't helped Nanako with the business, he felt it was better to arrive earlier than planned to help her close shop. Arriving at the foot of the steps, Ryoma turned to face Fuji. "Okay, so...this is good night," he said, trying to end their night as quickly as possible.

"I will see you tomorrow, right?" Fuji asked hopefully.

"I guess."

"Echizen..." Fuji lowered his voice as he took a step toward him.

Ryoma flinched and took a step back. However, Fuji wasn't giving up. Ryoma bit his lower lip as Fuji reached out with a hand and touched his cheek, gently caressing it. Sighing, Ryoma closed his eyes and automatically leaned into his hand. He had missed Fuji's touch and often ached for it when he woke from his dreams. Feeling it again on his skin brought back all the emotions he held back for four years.

"Did you ever miss me?" Fuji asked quietly.

His eyes fluttered open at the question. He stared into Fuji's blue eyes and nodded his head, "I did."

"Why didn't you ever call?"

"I was afraid you had comet to hate me."

He heard Fuji sigh and then felt both hands cupping his cheeks. Ryoma was forced to look at Fuji as he leaned in closer. Hidden by the bushes, Ryoma granted himself the pleasure of pressing his body against Fuji. The heat from the other man mingled with his and he sighed with satisfaction. Tipping slightly on his toes, he tilted his head back and brushed his lips against Fuji's. Locking lips with him, Ryoma let a small moan emit from the back of his throat. He reached up with his hands and clung to the front of Fuji's shirt as if he was the last thing holding him up. Ryoma whimpered and pulled back. Panting heavily, he touched his forehead with Fuji's and whispered, "Kiss me more." And just like that, everything else in the world didn't seem to matter anymore. He wrapped his arms around Fuji's neck as the older man kissed him again. Ryoma opened his mouth, letting Fuji's tongue invade his mouth. He could feel the hot tongue explore his mouth, licking every inch of it before settling on his tongue. The first touch was tentative, but soon Fuji was sucking his tongue and biting it, eliciting excited moans from Ryoma. When they finally pulled back for air, a trickle of saliva dripped down Ryoma's mouth. Staring dazedly at Fuji, he felt a thumb on his lips, wiping away the saliva. "I missed that," he mumbled honestly.

Fuji chuckled lightly, pressing his face into the brook of his neck, "I missed you. I missed everything about you. Your smell, your taste, your touch...your voice."

Fuji lifted his head again and leaned in for another kiss. However, before they could, the front door to the shop opened and Nanako's voice rang out.

"Oh, there you guys are. I was wondering when you two will come back," Nanako said.

Ryoma was quick to step away from Fuji and whipped around. He was blushing furiously as he fiddled with his thumb, acting like a child who had been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. He made sure his eyes would never make contact with Nanako. Although he had come back to live with her, he hadn't told her about his sexual preference yet and this wasn't exactly how he had wanted her to find out. "Um...this...I..." Ryoma fumbled with his words, unsure of how to explain the situation.

"You have to help out with the festival tomorrow, Ryoma. I've already told Mr. Sumeragi that you would help out with carrying the palanquins," Nanako said happily.

Nanako's words brought Ryoma's attention elsewhere. He stared at her with raised brows. "I have to help with carrying the palanquins?" he asked in shock.

"Yes...is that a problem?"

"But...but...they have to wear a fundoshi!"

"Of course."

"That means I have to wear one!"

"Yup!"

Ryoma's jaw dropped at Nanako's cheerfulness. She didn't seem the least bit guilty of signing him up to participate without his consent. From behind him, he could hear Fuji's trying to stifle his laughter. Growling, he looked over his shoulder to glare at Fuji, something he hadn't done in a long time. "Don't laugh!" he exclaimed.

"That would be a sight to see, Echizen," Fuji said, breaking into a fit of laughter.

Scowling, Ryoma turned away from Fuji and stalked into the house. He could hear Nanako and Fuji giggling even as he walked farther into the house. Grumbling under his breath, he went upstairs and locked himself in his room, not even bothering to go back down to say goodbye to Fuji or help Nanako close up the shop.

Later at night, he heard a knock on his door. Ryoma sat up in bed as the door opened and Nanako walked inside with a tray of food. He had forgotten to go back down for dinner, so once he saw the tray of food, his stomach began to growl. Blushing from the embarrassing sound his stomach was making and the amused look on Nanako's face, Ryoma covered his stomach with his arms. He swung his leg over the edge of his bed just as his cousin set the tray down on his end table. "Sorry for not coming down to help you," he said. He did feel guilty for not helping her, especially since she was providing for him.

"It's okay. You need your little tantrum sometimes," Nanako teased.

"I don't throw tantrums," grumbled Ryoma.

Nanako giggled as he walked over and sat beside him, "Of course not. I'm just teasing you. I'm actually here to...talk about something important."

Ryoma raised a brow at her as he picked up the spoon and took a bite of the curry, "What?"

"What is Fuji to you?"

Choking back his food, Ryoma coughed to clear his throat. His eyes watered for a second before he answered hoarsely, "What do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid Ryoma. I've seen the way you two look at each other and...I overheard you two talking by the sink as well as saw you two kissing in front of the shop."

Ryoma blushed again. "I...I really didn't want you to find out that way."

"So you're gay."

"...yeah. Are you...disgusted?"

"No...and I'm not surprised either. You never did seem to show any interest in girls in the fours years you stayed here. At first I just thought it was because you had someone you liked back in the city, but then I began to notice how to would sometime look at men who came to the shop. I wanted to ask you, but then I thought it was better if you told me when you were ready. However, I decided it was time to confront you because...well...I just thought Fuji was a little...old for you."

"He's not that old."

"Yes, but if you knew him since you lived with Atobe...I wonder...did you two have that kind of relationship back then too?"

"No...I mean, sort of?"

"But you would have been a teen..."

"We never did anything...just..." Ryoma looked away from Nanako. The things he did with Fuji were things that were private to him. He didn't exactly want to talk about it with Nanako, especially if he didn't want her to find out the other stuff he did. After all, he didn't just not tell about his sexual orientation, but he also didn't tell her about the life he lived. He lied to her, telling her that Atobe had given him a place to stay, bought clothes for him, and allowed him to attend school. He didn't want her to know the other life because Nanako had seen Atobe as someone who saved him and so, he thought it would be better if she never knew. He sighed and glanced back at her. "Stuff..." he finished lamely

"I won't ask for details, but he didn't go any farther than kissing or touching?" Nanako asked seriously.

Ryoma mentally screamed from embarrassment. "No..."

"Okay...so now that you're an adult, I won't say anything. Besides, Fuji seems like a good man. So, you're going out with him."

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean...he told me he loved me...sort of. He did mention it, but I never told him I loved him and we weren't in a relationship four years ago." The look Nanako gave him had him wanting to hide under his covers. "I'm just...afraid."

"Afraid of what, dear?"

"That he would stop loving me or if I'm not exactly as he thought I would be."

"Sometimes in love, you have to risk things. You have to believe in him and yourself...now then, finish dinner and go to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow for the festival."

"Okay."

Once he was alone in his room, Ryoma finished his food and brought the tray back downstairs to wash them. After he finished, he headed back up to his room and snuggled into his bed. "Tomorrow...maybe I will tell him tomorrow," he muttered as slumber took over his body.

The next day didn't go as he had planned. He was hoping to meet up with Fuji to tell him how he felt, but the moment he stepped out of the house, he was whisked away to help with setting up the palanquin for the deity to rest on. When he thought he had a chance to escape, he ended up finding Fuji crowded by a group of young females squealing over him. By the time the first day of the festival ended, Ryoma never had a chance to talk to Fuji. He thought about heading to the inn to talk to him, but decided against it. "I still have tomorrow," he told himself as he fell asleep again.

The second day was no better than the first day. Fuji was surrounded, not only by young females, but older ones as well. Ryoma glared holes into the back of the women's heads. Jealously seethed inside him. He wasn't allowed any room to even talk with Fuji. Scowling, Ryoma had just decided to push them aside when he was once again taken away to help in booths. Once again, he returned home at the end of the second day of the festival without any progress. Sighing dejectedly, Ryoma entered his house just as Nanako was walking out.

"Oh, you're back already," she said.

"Yeah," Ryoma responded, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to stay the night at a friend's house. You don't mind staying here alone do you?"

"No."

Nanako hugged him before leaving and as the door shut, Ryoma stared at it blankly. He sighed and plopped to the floor. Tomorrow Fuji was going to leave and he wouldn't be able to tell him that he loved him. He stared at the ceiling, debating whether he should go over to the inn to talk to Fuji or wait. After a while of arguing with himself, he decided he should go. If he didn't, he may never have the chance again. He stood up and walked to the door. He opened it and was about to step outside when he realized someone was standing in front of him. Ryoma blinked in surprise at the figure. "Fuji?"

"Oh, are you heading somewhere?" Fuji asked.

"Um...I was about to head over to the inn you were staying in, but what are you doing here?"

"Nanako called me and said that I should keep you company since you were going to be home alone."

Ryoma thanked Nanako mentally. "...come inside." He stepped aside to let Fuji in. Once he was in the shop, Ryoma closed the door and locked it. He led Fuji to the kitchen and up the stairs into his room. "Sit anywhere...though there's not much space," Ryoma said as they entered his room. He closed the door behind him and walked over to his bed where Fuji was already sitting. "I didn't get to talk to since the festival started," Ryoma said.

"I really wanted to talk to you too, but...those girls are really persistent," said Fuji with a chuckle.

"I know. It was annoying to watch. You should have just ignored them."

"Jealous?"

Scowling, Ryoma cluck his tongue. He turned on the bed, crossing his legs as he looked at Fuji. "I have something to tell you," he said.

"Hm?" Fuji tilted his head and waited for him to continue.

"I..." The words trailed out of his mind. He stared at Fuji, his mouth open with nothing to say. He didn't know how to say it. Clenching his hands, Ryoma took a deep breath. He relaxed his hands again and leaned forward. He placed his arms around Fuji's shoulder and whispered, "Please don't leave." He had his head down, so Fuji couldn't see his expression.

"I'm not going anywhere," Fuji said quietly.

"I mean tomorrow. Don't go. Don't leave...I want you to stay with me. Please don't go back."

Ryoma's voice broke even though he was trying hard to sound normal. He glanced back up, letting his hands travel up to cup Fuji's face. "I don't want you to leave me."

"Echizen," Fuji whispered, "Shit."

He saw Fuji frown for a second, but it disappeared as he was suddenly pushed down onto the bed. Ryoma yelped as Fuji kissed him, ravaging his mouth. Moaning, he arched his back, pushing his body against Fuji and trying to create as much friction as possible. "Fuji," he mumbled in between kisses. He gasped as Fuji rolled his hips against his, grinding their growing erection together. "Ahh," Ryoma moaned, tossing his head back. He wanted more from Fuji. He wanted to feel the heat of Fuji inside him, making him go senseless, to forget everything except him. "I want you," Ryoma whispered into Fuji's ear, "Make love to me." That was all he knew Fuji needed to know because the instant those word left his mouth, Fuji was stripped him of clothes. Shirts and pants were tossed side without care, leaving them both naked. Ryoma looked up as Fuji was straddled his lap, taking in the glory of his nakedness. He swallowed slowly, breathing heavily. Hands trembling, Ryoma reached out to touch Fuji's upright length. It quivered beneath his touch. Ryoma began to stroke it slowly from the head to the bottom. He heard Fuji moaning on top of him, arousing him more. He was beginning to stroke faster when Fuji stopped him abruptly.

"Do you...have lube?" he asked hoarsely.

Ryoam nodded, "First drawer."

Fuji got off of him to grab it and then returned. Ryoma watched in awe as Fuji sat back on his knees.

"Why do you have lube?" Fuji asked with a small frown.

Ryoma thrust his hands over his face, covering it as he blushed in response, "I...did dream about you."

He could hear Fuji chuckling. Too embarrass to look, Ryoma kept his hands over his face. Suddenly, he was being pulled. His body turned, making his back rest against Fuji's chest. A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind as Fuji rested his chin on his shoulder.

"You're too cute," Fuji whispered.

"Don't call me cute," Ryoma argued.

"Okay."

He was about to retort again, but the sound of a bottle cap opening shut him up. His gaze darted to the bottle of lube in Fuji's hands in front of him. His stomach seemed to flutter with excitement as he watched the lube pour over Fuji's fingers, coating them amply. The bottle was tossed to the floor as Fuji's coated hand touched his abdomen and slid down slowly. Ryoma's stomach quivered from the touch. He arched and moaned as Fuji began to stroke him slowly. Fuji fiddled with the tip of his erection, rubbing the slit and then gliding down to fondle his balls. Ryoma moaned again, turning his head. His forehead touch Fuji's cheek just as the fingers lowered and began to circle the rim of his entrance. A shaky breath escaped his lips as he mewled in ecstasy. The other free hand from Fuji began to play with his hard nipples. Ryoma twitched from the touch. His legs spread wider and his left hand immediately shot out, grabbing Fuji's arm which was playing with his hole. Ryoma's other hand came up to cover his mouth to prevent any noise from escalating.

"Don't cover your mouth," Fuji whispered, "I want to hear your voice."

Ryoma whimpered and uncovered his mouth just as Fuji's middle finger entered his puckering hole. He twitched again, moaning loudly. Fuji began to thrust in and out, adding another finger to stretch him. The sound of the fingers thrusting inside him brought a blush to face. He hadn't realize how embarrassing sex could be.

Ryoma bit back a moan as Fuji's finger brushed against his prostate. His body jolted from the touch however. He could feel Fuji smiling without even looking as he began to rub his fingers against his A-spot. Ryoma let out a shuddering moan. His hands holding onto Fuji's arm gripped tighter as he felt the pulsing waves of pleasure ride through him. "Ahh...ah...Fu...ji. No more! I'm...going to...come!" Ryoma moaned in between pants. But Fuji didn't stop on his request. He continued, milking out the moans from Ryoma until he came. Ryoma let out a hoarse moan of pleasure as his body shook from the orgasm. Panting, he rested his body against Fuji's chest. He didn't have time to speak as Fuji was laying him down on his back against the bed. He looked up at Fuji who hovered over him.

"Bend your knees," Fuji directed.

Without saying a word, Ryoma did as he was told. He bent them and spread them wide for Fuji who knelt in front of them. He watched as Fuji leaned over and began licking his inner thigh. Even though he had just ejaculated minutes ago, he could feel his cock rising again. He rolled his head back as Fuji licked both thighs, biting them along the way. After a few more licks, Ryoma felt Fuji's tongue pressing between his perineum and testicle, causing a shock of pleasure to spread through his body. His hips bucked at the feeling. Suddenly, Fuji's tongue was rimming him, flicking inside his hole to swirl around before darting back out to rim again. Ryoma fought back constant moans, but was failing miserably as waves of pleasure swept through his body. And then it was gone. Whimpering in protest, Ryoma lifted his head to look at Fuji. He was sitting on his knees again, his legs spread to reveal with dripping cock. He lubed it with the remaining liquid he had left on his hand before leaning over Ryoma.

"I'm going to enter you now," Fuji whispered.

Ryoma let out a moan as Fuji pressed the tip of his erect length against his stretched hole. He hands shot up and he grabbed Fuji's arms which were placed on both side of his head. Fuji stopped and stared down at him. Ryoma gulped and let the words flow from his mouth. They came easier than he thought. "I love you," he whispered. He saw a twitch in Fuji's jaw and then he was suddenly being thrust into. Ryoma moaned loudly, his back arching off the bed as Fuji thrust relentlessly into him. Ryoma wrapped his legs around Fuji, the heel of his feet pressing into Fuji's buttocks. "Deeper! Deeper inside me!" Ryoma begged. The thrusting became harder and faster, plunging deeper inside him and filling him. Ryoma cried out in ecstasy from the pure bliss of Fuji being inside him. It was what he longed for and he had finally gotten it. "Ah...ah!" Ryoma reached up with his hands and wrapped them around Fuji's neck, pulling him into a deep kiss.

Fuji pulled away and said, "Call my name...Shusuke...I want to hear you say it."

"Nnn...ah...Shu-Shusuke!" Ryoma called out as he felt the pressure of his orgasm, "I'm coming!"

The tingly, pleasurable feeling started from the tip of toes, then rushed up through his body before settling on his balls. He cried out as he came, sending streams of his cum splattering against Fuji's chest and his. It didn't take long for Fuji to ejaculate after him, filling him up until his seeds were dripping from his hole. Fuji continued to rock against him until he was fully spent. Panting heavily, Fuji pulled out of him and rolled onto the side of the small twin bed. Ryoma pulled himself up and plopped himself on top of Fuji, resting his head against the other man's chest. He closed his eyes in content while Fuji ran his fingers through his sweat slicked hair.

"I've longed to do that," Fuji muttered after a chuckle.

"Me too," Ryoma agreed, "Does this mean...we're an item now?"

"If you agree to it."

"I want us to be...but...you'll be leaving soon."

"I'm not going to."

Ryoma pushed himself up against Fuji's chest and frowned down at him, "You really don't have to stay."

"There's nothing left for me in the city anyway. I quit my job already...besides, a country life doesn't sound bad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Smiling, Ryoma leaned back down and kissed Fuji. He pulled back and smirked at Fuji. He rolled his hips which earned a raised brow from Fuji.

"Another round?" Fuji asked curiously.

"We're finally able to...are you already tired, old man?" Ryoma asked teasingly.

"I'm not old," Fuji scowled, "Just you wait."

Ryoma laughed as Fuji pushed him off and rolled him onto his side. Their growing erections rubbed against each other as Ryoma flicked one leg over Fuji's side. Grinning mischievously at Fuji, Ryoma licked his lips and thrust his hips. "No more foreplay. I just want you inside me," Ryoma said.

"But don't you have to carry the palanquin tomorrow?" Fuji asked worriedly, "I'm afraid I've already done you hard."

"I don't care. I can handle it...I just want you in me. I want to feel you Shusuke. I want you to fill me to the brim...until I can't think anymore."

"You asked for it."

Ryoma gasped as Fuji slipped inside him once more. He smiled, kissing Fuji as the fast thrusting empty out every worry he had coursing in his head. He wouldn't mind if they did it all night. He pulled away from the kiss, pushing Fuji till he was lying on the bed. Ryoma smiled down at him and rode him hard. "I...love you," he said again. He wanted Fuji to know just how much he really did love him for the four years they had missed each other.

Fuji pulled him down and kissed him hard. As they pulled apart, Ryoma heard Fuji whisper, "I love you too, Ryoma."

And that was when Ryoma knew everything was going to be okay. Their future held a brighter path as long as they were together.

* * *

The last day of the festival was a loud one with the townspeople gathering around to see the parade of the palanquin to be carried. Amongst the men wearing a fundoshi, Ryoma was placed in the middle. He wore a white band around his head as he heaved the palanquin with the others. His eyes searched the crowd and fell on the man he was looking for. Fuji stood beside Nanako, his eyes dancing with amusement and lust. Ryoma smirked at him and purposely swayed his hips exaggeratedly for Fuji to see as the group turned, leading the palanquin down another pathway. He broke into a small chuckle and decided that wearing a fundoshi wasn't all that horrible...especially if he wore it for Fuji during their private times. He was definitely going to tease the older man by doing that, but it would be for a later time...

* * *

**Author's note: **And that is the end. Whew...a long scene of lemon, but yeah...haha. Well, I am going to rewrite chapter 18 though...but it might not be for a while. XD Anywho...this is the end. Hope you all enjoyed this fanfic. Oh, I should mention, there is going to be a one-shot about how Atobe got away with this.


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